


Resident Hero: A DC Comics/Resident Evil 2 Crossover

by OmniAlt



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), DC Extended Multiverse, DC Extended Universe, Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon: Resident Evil 2 Remake (Video Game 2019), DC Extended Universe - Freeform, DC comics - Freeform, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Modern Retelling, Multiverse, RE2 is set in 2018, RE: Code Veronica doesn't happen, Resident Evil 2 (Video Game 2019), Retcon, Science Fiction, Survival Horror, The rest of the RE series doesn't happen, Timeline Divergence, What-If, Zombies, superhero
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-01-14 23:12:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 95,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18486379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OmniAlt/pseuds/OmniAlt
Summary: In 2020, after battling A.M.A.Z.O. and unleashing his full power against it, Kryptonian Christopher Kent/Superman II gets transported to Earth-42, the year 2018, not far from the MIZOIL gas station. Unfortunately, unleashing his full power caused him to flush out all of his solar energy reserves and is left powerless. Since it's night time and raining, Superman II can't recharge his powers until sunrise. He would eventually meet Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy while they face the dangers of the Raccoon City outbreak...





	1. Prologue (Part 1): The Dark Plot

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes:  
> \- Prologue takes place in the DC Extended Universe films’ future (year 2020) with added characters and some fan retcons.  
> \- Expect a number of references to DCEU and other DC movies  
> \- The Main Universe is Earth-Prime while the RE2 Universe is in Earth-42  
> \- Christopher Kent is based on the Earth-16 version of the character in DC Comics. However, he has an  
> entirely new backstory and origin, inspired by Superman and Supergirl.  
> \- Resident Evil 2 Remake is set in 2018 instead 1998.  
> \- Ignores Continuity/Canon of Resident Evil games (so CVX and the rest of the series doesn't happen)  
> \- Cisco's Vibe abilities can include time-travel through his portals.  
> \- Raccoon City is much larger and isn't necessarily too accurate to Capcom's map.  
> \- DISCLAMER: I own nothing – Characters belong to DC Comics and Capcom.  
> \- Some/Certain parts draw inspiration from Gravenimage's "Resident Hunstman" story on FF.net

**Prologue – The Dark Plot**

_\- September 28, 2020. Metropolis, Delaware, United States. Earth Prime. -_

Superman has found Lex Luthor’s underground hideout and confronts him only to find a darker plot. Lex has high yield nuclear missiles launched and set to detonate at specific coordinates.

“Even you with your great speed, couldn’t stop both of them. Each with a ten megaton yield, more than enough to destroy a city or cause an earthquake if it hits the precise spot.” He gloated, confident in his evil plan.

Superman’s facial expression changed to a mixture of anger and surprise. “Wait, there’s two of them!? Where are they headed? Tell me now!”

As Superman’s anger rose, Lex Luthor remained relatively calm and pointed at the monitor set. Superman observed that one missile is headed for the San Andreas fault in California and the other headed for Manhattan, New York City. The nuclear explosion in Manhattan would more than definitely be able to wipe out all life in the city and beyond. 

“Tick tock, you’re running out of time. Choose! Either way, it’s going to be millions dead.” Lex sported a wide, evil grin. _Bye, Bye California_

In an instant, Superman flew out of the lair, breaking through the ceiling and flying away from Metropolis at tremendous hypersonic speeds in order to locate the missile. Superman makes the hasty decision to find the Manhattan missile first. Using his telescopic vision and super-hearing, it did not take him long to locate the missile. Superman caught up with it in seconds and easily changed the trajectory, steering it into space. However, he still needs to hold on to the missile otherwise it will go back on course.

* * *

 

_\- 20 minutes ago. Washington, D.C.-_

The Justice League, Team Flash and Superman II were in the capital, fighting a powerful adaptive android called A.M.A.Z.O. whom Luthor has sent out to deal with the heroes so his plan can continue without any interruptions. A.M.A.Z.O. has the ability to mimic powers of whom it’s fighting by taking the time to scan their physiology due to it being powered by the nano-adaptive hybrid Mirakuru fluid and was becoming more powerful the longer they fought. This was bad news. Superman II, otherwise known as Christopher Kent was the one handling A.M.A.Z.O. better than the rest of his teammates but it doesn’t mean that they are currently winning.

Wonder Woman and Aquaman attempt to re-engage and held their own for a bit but soon got easily knocked away. A.M.A.Z.O. was either too strong or simply moving too fast to hit. Flash tried to distract the android while Killer Frost tried to freeze it to no effect. Flash tried to throw a Speed Force generated lightning bolt only for android to phase through the attack and knock the Flash down with its own.

"Nothing’s working!" Killer Frost called out, obviously frustrated. "This has been going on for way too long. Where's Superman anyway?"

Cisco Ramon aka Vibe pointed directly at Chris, who is still exchanging blows with A.M.A.Z.O. "There's one right there!" 

"You know that's not what I meant..." She replied with a serious look.

Chris flew in and threw a super-sonic punch, creating a mach cone around his arm only for the blow hit nothing but air as the android was fast enough to dodge. A.M.A.Z.O responded by punching Chris in the face.

 _SMACK!_ The punch created a large shock wave in the air upon impact which sent Chris flying through a tall building at great speed, causing massive damage. The shockwave itself was powerful enough to shatter some windows and disperse some nearby cars. The top of the building started to give away and fall. The civilians on the street saw this and begun screaming and running around in panic.

 _Oh dear_. Chris thought as he righted himself and swooped around under the falling structure and caught it. Chris carried the part of the building structure and flew around with it, looking for a place to put it down. _Where the heck am I gonna put this thing?_

Cisco attempted to fire a “vibe blast” at the android only for it dodge and fire back with its own vibe blast. When Chris, Aquaman and Wonder Woman continue to fight, the android fired more vibe blasts, staggering Arthur while Diana blocked them with her shield. Chris however, just no-sells them with his body before delivering a surprise punch to A.M.A.Z.O., sending it flying away.

"Didn't phase through that did you?" Chris taunted the android. It didn't take long for the android to recover.

"Okay, this is just great. It’s copied my powers too. Anyone got any more brilliant ideas? I’m out of them." Cisco yelled through the commlinks.

"Actually yeah, I’ve got one more trick but I haven’t tried it yet." Flash responded.

Flash moved into super-speed, whilst in his perception, everything, everyone and basically time itself was frozen. Chris is also fast, being able to move and gave Barry a nod as he flew towards A.M.A.Z.O, punching it in every direction, creating slow motion mach cones and shockwaves with his strikes, in order to keep it of off-balance. Barry started vibrating his body in reverse while he ran. A.M.A.Z.O. was speeding up and adapting to Flashtime. However, in addition to absorbing powers of the heroes, it also copies their weaknesses.

_God I hope this works._

Flash and Chris grabbed A.M.A.Z.O. restraining it as it tried to phase out to no avail due to Flash counter-phasing. "It’s working!" Flash announced out loud.

Wonder Woman jumped and sliced its legs while Aquaman stabbed the Trident of Atlan into its chest. A.M.A.Z.O. didn’t seem fazed by those attacks.

"Vibe to Watchtower. Batman, Dr. Wells? Is the weapon ready yet?" Cisco spoke through the comms.

"Get Cyborg. We only have only one shot at this." Batman answered.

"A.M.A.Z.O. copies your weaknesses in addition to your powers. If it's copied the Kryptonian, then this will work like a charm." Dr. Harrison Wells also replied through the comms.

Vibe created a portal so he can transport Cyborg and the newly fabricated weapon to where the fighting was.

As A.M.A.Z.O., Flash and Chris struggled, Cyborg took aim.

"Take the shot now! We’re not sure how much longer we can hold him!" Chris urged.

Cyborg’s aim has locked on and he fires a red ball of plasma, hitting A.M.A.Z.O square in the chest. A.M.A.Z.O is weakened and downed for a few moments. Chris and Barry then let go.

"What’d you hit him with?" Killer Frost asked.

"Red solar M-sequence radiation. We figured that it would imitate the Kryptonian’s powers and weaknesses. Lucky it worked, but we better act fast."

Right at that moment, A.M.A.Z.O. began to slowly recover managed to remove Aquaman’s trident from its chest. A.M.A.Z.O. isn’t letting up just yet.

“He’s coming to… No way!” Vibe exclaimed as the whole team prepared to fight again. However, Chris took advantage of the android’s weakened state and flew up with it into the clouds at extreme hypersonic speeds. Chris unleashed the full power of his heat vision without relent, even yelling out loud while doing it.  _This has to end. NOW!_

* * *

 

_\- Outer Space. During the beginning of the A.M.A.Z.O. fight. -_

Superman has reached space and flew past the moon while still holding the missile. A thought came into his head. _Oh no, Chris. He doesn’t know about the other missile!_

Meanwhile, Luthor had anticipated Superman catching up with the missile and pressed a button on a remote control. _So long, Superman._

 _CHOOOOOOOOOM!_ The nuclear bomb Superman was carrying exploded at full force. Superman was blasted back but finds himself unscathed and merely unhurt by the otherwise devastating explosion. Superman turned around, his way back to Earth.

_Huh, that wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought._

Five years ago, Superman has survived a nuclear explosion before but it left him extremely weakened and drained despite not being “one-hundred percent.” Superman had risked his life to ensure that this abomination, or as Lex called it, Doomsday had been caught in the nuclear explosion. Which didn’t work out.

After Superman’s resurrection, he has grown stronger and more powerful than ever before. Now apparently able to withstand nuclear blasts with ease.

As soon as he reached Earth’s exosphere, it was too late. He saw a mushroom cloud from the second missile take form above California, which was very bad news. Superman used his telescopic and X-ray vision and noticed that ground zero was the San Andreas fault line. This meant devastating earthquakes.

Superman flew down with haste and entered through the fault line into the Earth’s molten mantle with lava flowing and large debris falling around him. Superman searched for center of the tectonic plates and used his immense strength to move the plates which should help minimize the earthquakes. This wasn’t the first time he’s dealt with tectonic plates and earthquakes. He then proceeds to lift the bottom of the San Andreas fault line in order to seal it which, however, took more time. Superman flies around California and nearby states in order to mitigate the damage the earthquake has caused. 

* * *

 

- _Earth’s exosphere. Now. -_

Chris continued to overwhelm a weakened A.M.A.Z.O with his heat vision. Chris noticed that his heat vision became more erratic and increased to the point of overcharging it. Chris’ eyes began to heat up then his entire body; his skin glowing in an orange-red hue but he didn’t stop until…

 _BOOOOOOOOM!_ Chris body emitted a powerful outburst of energy, like a mini supernova or super-flare. Right at that nanosecond, A.M.A.Z.O. managed to create a vibe portal crackling with yellow lightning which Chris’ unconscious body fell into while the android itself got obliterated into nothing by the tremendous super-flare.

As Chris remained unconscious, he began to have a flashback…

**_\- September 5, 2011. Ben Kent’s Farm, Steadworth, California. –_ **

_It is an early Monday morning as a thirteen-year-old Christopher Kent has already woken up and is speed-reading a news article on the computer in his room. Something about ‘WORLD RECORD BREAKERS.’_

_“Christopher George Kent, you’re going to be late for school!” Sarah called out._

_“Coming mom!” Chris called back in a pre-pubescent voice before he dressed himself up at super-speed, ready for school._

_Today was his first day of freshman year in high school. He had mixed feelings about it. He knew that he was among the youngest of the grade as he won’t be fourteen until December 6. He was also on the smaller side, being only five feet and two inches tall._

_Chris runs downstairs, to the kitchen then opens the fridge, taking a bottle of milk and drinks straight from it._

_“Nuh-uh-uh.” Sarah caught him and took the bottle away._

_“What? It tastes better outta the bottle!” Chris responded cheekily._

_“Where’d you learn your manners?”_

_“On a farm…” Chris said with a smile on his face as he grabs a plate and toast._

_“Good afternoon, sleepyhead.” Ben joked to his son as he walked through the front door just as Chris sat down on the table and had a permission slip from South California High School in his hands. Sarah hands her husband a mug just as he takes the milk bottle from the fridge and drinks straight from it._

_“Oh, don’t forget I’ve got work until tonight, so you two are on your own and don’t order pizza. There’s plenty of food in the fridge” She reminded._

_Ben just chuckled. “Whatcha got there son?”_

_“Permission slip, for the football team. Couple spots opened up, they have tryouts this afternoon.” Chris said as he got up and showed the permission slip to his father just when Sarah looked on. “Come on dad, you played football in high school.” He pleaded._

_“That was different, son.” Ben replied bluntly._

_“Why?”_

_“You know why.”_

_“If I run at half speed, I won’t hit anybody.” Chris reassured._

_“A lot of things can happen in the heat of the game, son.”_

_“Most of the guys hardly even play. Chances are, I’ll ride the bench half of the season… Dad, I can be careful.”_

_“I know you can be careful, but what if there’s an accident? Look… Er, Chris, I know this going to be hard for you, but you just gotta hang in there, like we promised.” Ben put his hand on Chris’ shoulder._

_“I’m sick of hangin’ in there. All I wanna do is go through high school without being a total loser.” Chris looked disappointed as he got up to get his jacket and backpack before heading out the door._

_Just as when Chris reached the front gate, the bus had already left. Chris, now seemingly alone, pauses for a moment, grins to himself and zips out of sight at super-speed. Chris is running very fast through the field, appearing only like a blur as he ran at a couple hundred miles per hour, but of course, no one noticed as he easily outran the bus…_

* * *

 

_\- Back at Washington D.C. -_

The super-flare explosion was visible on Earth’s surface, especially where the Justice League and Team Flash who had clearly seen what had just happened. Even Batman and Dr. Wells saw this from Watchtower. They currently didn't have any words to describe this.

"What the hell just happened?" Killer Frost asked.

"I don’t know." Cyborg replied equally puzzled.

* * *

 

**Resident Hero Fanart: Made on Photoshop.**

^ Superman II fights A.M.A.Z.O (Original: https://imgur.com/baz4uZS)

^ Superman lifts the San Andreas fault line. (Original: https://imgur.com/A6UFiwc)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Prologue (Part 2): Chaos in Raccoon City


	2. Prologue (Part 2): Chaos in Raccoon City

 

**_\- September 22, 2018. Raccoon City, Arklay County, Pennsylvania, United States. Unknown Earth –_ **

**_- Underground testing lab, Umbrella's NEST Facility -_ **

It was around 11:45 this Saturday night. A blond haired man wearing a lab coat, in around his mid-thirties, was busy kneeling down on the floor, appearing to be taking some vials from an open vault and placing them inside a black metal briefcase. This man was Dr. William Birkin, a senior scientist and virologist who worked for the big company 'Umbrella Pharmaceuticals.' Just as William was about to get up and leave, he was startled by the sudden intrusion of masked soldiers. Those soldiers were the Umbrella Security Service being led by their alpha leader codenamed 'HUNK.' William looked around as all of the soldiers held him at gunpoint.

"Dr. Birkin, you'll come along with us quietly." HUNK said coolly.

"You think I didn't know you were coming?" William said in a resentful tone.

He held the briefcase tightly under his left arm while he put his right hand inside his lab coat. "This is my life's work! I'm not handing over anything!" He then blurted out.

"We have our orders, Dr. Birkin... I'll ask you one more time." HUNK was starting to lose his patience.

In an act of desperation and resistance, William pulled his handgun out but was quickly shot down with a few shots from a machine gun by the soldier next to HUNK. William collapsed to the ground, bleeding through his lab coat.

"Hold your fire!" HUNK yelled.

Another soldier approached William's body, checking his pulse. The soldier then looked back and shook his head. 

"What the fuck were you thinking? Our orders were to bring him in alive!" HUNK turned and berated the shooter before activating his radio device and made contact with his superior.

"We're in sir, but we had a snafu... Target resisted, we had to take him out... That's correct sir... Roger that, just the samples then."

The third soldier then took William's briefcase.

"Let's move!" HUNK told his team as they walked out.

* * *

 

**_\- Several minutes later -_ **

It is revealed that William isn't actually dead and somehow barely survived. He was leaning against the wall, not having moved from the place he was shot.

"You don't get away that easily..." He coughed and said in a weak voice.

William then injected himself in his chest with a large syringe, before grunting in pain and throwing the syringe away. He then coughed and sputtered before rising on one knee and getting up. Soon, a blond haired woman wearing jeans and white lab coat appeared in the room and looked at the syringe on the floor, then at William. This woman is William's wife, Annette.

"Good God, William... What have you done?" The woman had a look of shock on her face.

William then stood up, breathing heavily.

"G is my creation!" He then shouted in despair. 

His body started making sounds as it was healing itself from the wounds but was also starting to slowly transform. 

Annette then picked up her husband's handgun and aimed it at him but didn't pull the trigger.

"William! ... Honey, please... no..." 

Instead, he ignored her as he left the room, his heavy breathing turning into growls. Annette had a look of sorrow, guilt and regret on her face. She slipped the handgun in her coat and ran away, seemingly knowing what was happening to her husband.

* * *

 

_**\- One hour later -** _

There was grunting and growling in the background as a wounded soldier lay on the ground, with his video camera still rolling and looking at the open briefcase of vials that he took from William. 

"Please... Oh please... stop... St-stop!" He croaked out as he tried to reach the briefcase.

Sounds of rapid gunfire and mysterious growling continued.

"Don't... don't... no...no...no!" The soldier continued.

"OVER HERE, YOU FREAK!" Another soldier yelled.

A mysterious creature with a mutated right arm and wearing a tattered lab coat and pants came to the soldier that was firing his machine gun. It stepped over the wounded soldier and trampled over the briefcase, sending numerous vials down the gutter and into the drain. The creature ended the aggressive soldier in one swift blow with its mutated arm. 

"Don't hurt him... Don't hurt him...!" The wounded soldier breathed heavily.

There was one open vial still left on the ground but a couple of curious rats starting drinking the liquid. The creature then turned around and approached the wounded soldier just before the video camera cut out...  

 

* * *

 **** **_\- September 24, 2018. Raccoon City, Arklay County, Pennsylvania, United States. –_ **

**_\- Birkin's Residence -_ **

It was 7:00 in the morning as the alarm on the bedside sounded. Ten-year-old Sherry Birkin reached out with her right arm, awkwardly feeling around until she felt the button on the alarm clock in order to turn it off. Yes, that's right; Sherry is the daughter of scientists William and Annette Birkin but she hasn't seen nor heard from her parents in a week.

Today was Monday; it was a school day. Sherry jumped out of her bed and walked to the bathroom, taking a shower for five minutes. When she finished, she dried herself and ran back to her bedroom. She then changed out of her bathrobe, opening her wardrobe to dress in her school uniform before opening her sock drawer to pick out a clean pair of plain white crew socks out of at least a dozen pairs, which she always wore for school, or for anything really. Sherry put on her socks before walking up to her bedroom mirror to do up her blond hair the way her mother had taught her. Lastly, she then picked up her golden pendant that she left on top of her dresser, putting it on and tucking it beneath her school blouse.

Sherry slid across the polished wooden floor in her socks as she hurried for the kitchen, grabbing a stool and climbing on it in order to reach the higher cupboards. She fetched herself a bowl and a box Cap’n Crunch cereal, then went to the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. When she closed the door of the refrigerator, she briefly stared at two photographs; one was a full family portrait taken around March while the other was a closer family portrait taken on her tenth birthday, on the 6th of this month and two days after the school year started. In both photos, her parents had neutral expressions on their faces while Sherry herself was the only one actually smiling. These were the only photos of the three of them together that she had ever seen. She then moved to the counter and sat on one of the high stools, pouring her cereal and milk in the bowl and started eating.

When Sherry finished her breakfast, she washed her bowl in the sink, quickly brushed her teeth, packed her own lunchbox and backpack and got ready for school. As her small feet pattered across the floor upon walking towards the front door, she noticed a letter on the floor that fell through the slot, addressed to her written in her mother’s handwriting. Her parents were practically never home; they were always too busy working. Because of this, Sherry literally had to do everything herself but at least it taught her to be very independent, especially for her young age. Even though her parents frequently neglected her, she still loved them.

_Dear Sherry,_

_There have been complications at work which explains why we haven’t been coming home during the past week. We have had an accident that will soon affect the city but it wasn’t my fault. It was no one’s fault. Should anything happen, come straight back home. Even if it means leaving in the middle of school. There will be a lot of confused people around the city and some of them may be angry. Stay away from everyone. Even if you see your classmates or teachers on the way, don’t get close to them. Stay inside the house and you’ll be safe. There is plenty of food around and the house should still be using our rainwater._

_\- Mom_

Sherry sighed and was confused upon reading the letter; whatever happened must have been pretty bad. Nonetheless, she turned to the shoe rack and took a moment to choose between her black 'Clarks' Mary-Jane buckled school shoes or her red 'VANS' authentic sneakers which were beside much larger pairs of different adult shoes that belonged to her parents. Sherry ultimately went with the red VANS as she dropped them on the floor. She slipped on her shoes and knelt down to tie the laces before walking out the front door and locking it with her house key.

Sherry then made her way to the sidewalk and waited for the bus. After several minutes of waiting, the yellow school bus came and she hopped on, picking a seat by herself and stared out the window. As the bus drove down the street, Sherry looked backed at her house; a three storey modern home and bigger than most houses in the neighborhood. Yes, it can be said that her parents were wealthy and made a good fortune as they are primary virologists and researchers for the big pharmaceutical company Umbrella. Little did Sherry know, that this will be the last time she will see or set foot in that house again.

* * *

 

**_\- Raccoon City General Hospital -_ **

The place was extremely busy, full of footsteps, ringing telephones and mixed voices. Bright lights shone down on a middle aged man as he sat in the overcrowded waiting room in the hospital, holding a small wound on his hand. Phones kept ringing non-stop at the reception, whilst nurses and doctors were continually running as beds rolled in and out of the corridors. A lot of people were forced to sit on the floor because the room was way beyond recommended capacity. The large flat screen television hung from the ceiling as it shown the news channel giving various reports and updates.

Four police officers stood near the entrance of the hospital, one of them took a bite from his donut and sipped his coffee while his radio bleeped another emergency elsewhere within the city. The streets were already flooded with news vans, police and emergency vehicles while reporters stood around anxiously with their cameramen. The place was full of action as cops were preoccupied with rioting pedestrians, barely able to keep them behind the long line of barriers. More reporters tried to follow the action avidly, as more cameramen hurried around. Some civilians had their smartphones held out, filming everything. One guy even faced his iPhone’s camera to himself and started vlogging, intending to upload it on YouTube.

A woman in her early thirties named Susan Donaghue, who was dressed sharply, stood ready with her microphone next to a blue Raccoon City Channel 3 News van while the flash of police lights caught her attention.

“The alleged outbreak is getting worse as there have been reports of an unknown virus from within the north sections of the city limits as far as the Blue Havens Gate bridge, although some local officials have promised a plan for a task force to clean out and suppress the infection. The military’s presence has heightened the city’s state of panic which means they know the situation has become more serious. With the riots increasing, both police and military factions have their hands full…”

The reporter turned and saw a large group of police officers scramble through a gulley into the opposing street.

“I see one of the captains now; I’m going to try and talk to him.”

A barrier had been knocked over but a squad car sounded its sirens in loud segments to warn overeager civilians and anticipants away. The voice of the police boomed orders through the megaphone while more officers came with helmets and riot shields approaching the warring crowds. The reporter took her chance and moved in to try and speak to the police captain.

“Captain Harris.”

“What is it- Who the hell let these people in here?” Capt. Charles Harris was visibly angry while his secondary comrades in command stepped in.

“I just have a few questions if I may…”

“Can’t you see what’s going on? Get you and your goddamn people out of here NOW!”

“But-”

“Step the hell back! Move it, move it, move it!”

“Please, we need-”

There was a sudden sound of gunfire which caused a disruption as a madman fell to the ground, being pepper sprayed and came under fire from rubber bullets while the people in the crowds were panicking and screaming.

“Shit!”

“Get away from him! Step away from him! ... STEP AWAY!” Police officers screamed angrily, while the cameraman kept rolling and got as much live footage as possible.

“Dammit lady!” Another officer snapped before he turned to the cameraman and put his hand to cover the camera. “Turn off the fucking camera!”

* * *

 

**_- Ravens Gate bridge, West Side-_ **

There were police sirens sounding loudly, its echoing outpacing a blur of passers-by on the streets. A convoy of squad cars, commercial jeeps and S.W.A.T. vans raced down the freeway with sirens blaring through the streets wildly. They were sent for reinforcements since the dwindling police blockades were trying to keep the worsening situation under control as more hordes of anxious civilians moved through designated checkpoints on Ravens Gate bridge. Police and S.W.A.T. forces worked together, standing at the main exit roads, guiding people through accordingly.

“C’mon, c’mon keep it moving people.” One of the soldiers stood atop the gates’ platform overlooking the bridge and holding up the megaphone. “Please move through the designated checkpoints in a calm and orderly fashion.”

Typically, people were not listening and spoke amongst themselves. Suddenly, two men got into an argument and started a brawl. During the scuffle, the man managed to punch the other in the face, giving him a bloody nose. Officers quickly moved through the lines and separated them both.

“Alright, back it up!” One police officer growled.

“Get back right now, move it!” A S.W.A.T. officer barked as the two men were restrained and dragged to the back of the lines, this time supervised. The crowd was becoming more restless, unsure of what was going on.

* * *

 

**_\- East Raccoon Elementary School, Mrs. Pritchard’s fifth grade classroom –_ **

Today was a seemingly normal school day at the private elementary school. It was the middle of third period, being social studies in Mrs. Pritchard’s fifth grade class. Most of the students were genuinely uninterested as social studies didn’t seem to be the most appealing subject. Sherry was one of the very few students actually paying attention, her legs swinging slightly under her desk as her feet couldn’t quite reach the floor.

“Now, let’s do some fun reviewing of the U.S. Constitution!” Mrs. Pritchard announced in a cheery voice. The majority of the class responded with various groans and eye rolling. “Okay, here is the first easy question. There were a number of problems with the Articles of Confederation. Give one example of these problems.”

There were some blank faces and some muttering between students. “Come on, you should know this. We covered this topic last Friday.” The teacher tried to encourage her students to give an answer.

One boy put his hand up while a sly smile appeared on his face.

“Yes, Thomas.” Mrs. Pritchard pointed.

“Yeah, I got one. It was because the people spent too much on fancy clothes at nine-hundred shops and ended up bankrupt! Later, everyone got snapped away by Thanos; Infinity War style!” The boy replied, grinning.

"Hey, spoiler alert! I haven't even seen the movie!" Another boy named Sam called out from the other end of the class.

Basically all the boys and girls in class, including Sherry herself were snickering and giggling at Thomas's response. He was obviously the class clown. Thomas just hi-fived his best friend Henry that sat next to him.

Mrs. Pritchard slightly bowed her head but couldn’t help to grin herself and shook her head, showing that she was an easy going teacher and was somewhat used to Thomas's wisecracks. “I’m afraid that is incorrect. Anyone else know? … Hopefully someone with a more rational answer?” She walked around the desks.

A girl sitting behind Sherry sat thinking, looking confident before raising her hand.

"Yes, Olivia." Mrs. Pritchard pointed.

"There were too many taxes?" 

"No, not quite... but since you mentioned taxes, you're almost on the right track."

On one of the desks near the window, Sherry slowly raised her hand.

The teacher looked and pointed at the girl. “Sherry, go for it.” The whole class then looked towards Sherry.

“Um… The central government didn’t have enough power and they weren’t able to raise money through taxes. Oh, and each state only elected one member to Congress.”

“Well, I only asked for one example, but you gave three. Perfect, well said!” Mrs. Pritchard smiled.

Sherry gave a shy, soft smile in response.

Mrs. Pritchard then turned to the rest of the class. “It seems like Sherry was the only one that actually did her homework. Alright, let’s move on.”

The teacher then turned on the projector and opened a PowerPoint presentation about the U.S. Constitution. However, before they can continue, there was a melodic tone played on the P.A. system and the small LCD television screen in the corner of the room activated remotely.

_*Now an important announcement from your principal.*_

There was some soft chattering around the classroom while Sherry’s attention remained at the screen.

“Quiet.” Mrs. Pritchard told the students.

_*This is Principal Stanley. All students and faculty will make their way to the assembly area due to an emergency occurring as we speak. This is not a drill. You must all walk in a calm and orderly fashion. Do not bring anything. Upon arrival, teachers must check attendance while everyone must remain in the assembly area and await further instructions. That is all for now. Thank you.*_

An alarm then sounded through the P.A. system. The chattering between students got louder due to confusion.

“Alright, you heard Mr. Stanley. Everyone stand up, exit the room and form a single file outside. Walk, don’t run. No pushing or shoving.” Mrs. Pritchard told the class. Sherry followed her classmates out but as they marched their way through the already crowded corridor, she managed to overhear three other teachers talking softly to each other.

“Have you been watching the news earlier?” One teacher asked another teacher.

“Yeah, apparently there has been some rabid outbreak happening within this city. I didn’t want to believe it but it’s true.”

“The streets are in chaos. It’s unreal… It’s a miracle that I’ve even been able to drive the school today. Honestly, with something like that happening, should the school be even open today?”

“I bet Umbrella has something to do with this. It’s always them. God knows what they’re working on behind the scenes.”

“If things get any worse, the police department seems to be the safe place to seek refuge. The streets are literal hell to navigate through. Recently, Chief Irons stated on radio that the station is offering free food and shelter to people seeking refuge.”

Upon hearing this, Sherry remembers what the letter from her mother said. So whatever was happening had something to do with mom’s work after all. The letter did indeed warn her about of what is currently happening. Sherry looked around to see if anyone was watching, then quietly slipped away from the line without anyone noticing her. As she left the school grounds and evaded past the school security guard who was too busy reading today's newspaper, there were already large crowds of people among the streets. How was she supposed to get back home? Even though she usually took the bus and walking wasn’t that much of a big deal, but since the streets were flooded, going back to the house safely was going to be next to impossible. Remembering what the teachers said during their private conversation, the police station was the next best place to seek refuge. So that’s where she would go; she knew where it was and it’s within walking distance from the school. It should be way easier to get to the station rather than her home.

Sherry wished that she could call her mom now to find out what was going on but she didn’t own a mobile phone, whereas most kids at school owned smartphones or iPhones for themselves. Even though her parents always had more than enough money to buy her one, they never did. Nonetheless, she already made it to one of the main streets, running among a crowd of people heading towards the police station. Sherry started to become scared and was breathing heavily as she ran since she was getting tired from running and only stopped a few times to catch her breath. She was also somewhat thankful to herself since she chose to wear her VANS sneakers today instead of her Mary-Janes since the sneakers were easier and lighter to run in.

Thousands of people were everywhere; police, soldiers, S.W.A.T. and firemen as well as civilians such as seniors, adults, teenagers and even young children that were out of school. After what seemed like forever, the large building of the police station was visible and Sherry, along with a large crowds eventually made it through as Lt. Marvin Branagh along with dozens of R.P.D. police stood at the front and let everyone in.

* * *

 

**_\- East Raccoon Elementary. Emergency Assembly Area. -_ **

Back at the school’s assembly area, all grades K-6 has been gathered in appropriate formations with their teacher. Mrs. Pritchard, like all other teachers were checking class attendance via an iPad.

“Samantha Alford.”

“Here, miss.”

“Blake Anderson.” 

“Here.” The boy raised his hand.

“Hannah Arias.”

“Present.”

“Austin Avery.”

“Here.”

“Emma Barnes.”

“Here, miss.”

“Henry Beatty”

“Here, miss.”

“Thomas Bennett.”

“Yo, what up!” The class clown dabbed while some students giggled.

“Sherry Birkin.”

There was no response. Mrs. Pritchard looked at her class, now concerned. “Sherry? … Sherry!?” After a few seconds, the rest of the class started calling out for Sherry to no avail.

* * *

 

**_\- Blue Havens Gate bridge, East Side -_ **

Meanwhile, a squad car suddenly skidded around the crowd as the smoke rolled out from the rubber tires as it came to a screeching halt. The drivers’ door opened as a young, petite figure exited the vehicle and maneuvered her way through the crowds. A S.T.A.R.S. issue Beretta firearm was strapped around her hips while another officer stood with his team, helping the line to move along before spotting the woman.

“Chambers!”

S.T.A.R.S. rookie Rebecca Chambers glanced up at the officer and grinned back. A S.W.A.T. officer swiftly tossed a tear gas canister into the raging crowds of perpetrators who quickly fled as more police reinforcements arrived. More doors hastily opened as armed officers jumped out with their weapons readied; there were infected citizens who staggered about dragging their feet and moaned hungry for human flesh. Their skin was gray, pale and rotting away; they weren’t human anymore.

“Stand strong!” One officer yelled as more troops stood firm, creating boxes to form attack lines in order to cover each other. Numerous machine guns fired, the deafening sound of automatic gunfire fought against the savage undead freaks. Bucket loads of bullet casings spewed out on the road as they continued firing. While some bodies were brought to their knees and some actually killed off, more numbers came in a relentless fashion, advancing towards them.

“It’s not stopping them! Nothing seems to be working!”

“There’s too many of ‘em!”

“Fire at will!”

Desperate soldiers stood trying to fill out thinning lines of defense while they tightly gripped their machine guns. The noise being produced by so many firearms became nearly unbearable. Cops had to turn away slightly while soldiers had to tilt their heads in order to avoid the heat from their own weapons. The hordes of undead slowly began to bunch up and force them back, despite the amount of gunfire being akin to a hornet swarm of bullets. Out of desperation, some soldiers fired rockets from RPG launchers at the undead. Though somewhat effective, there were just too many zombies; more than what anyone thought was possible. One soldier was forced back into the side of an army Humvee and was grabbed by zombies desperate for his flesh. His screams were soon muted out by the sound of flesh being torn from his bones.

Another police officer was pushed over while zombies forced their way through, having his shotgun torn from his hands and felt the shocking cold sensation of his own blood splattering up his face while his guts were being chewed out. It was too late; the sounds of gunfire were gradually dying away as zombies overwhelmed them all, while more forced their way through the center and began feasting on unsuspecting cops. Their screams were muted out by the sound of tearing flesh, zombies moaning and burning vehicles.

“Fall back! Retreat!” Rebecca yelled at the surviving forces as she made her way back into her car, along with a few cops.

She then stepped on it and made an effort to leave for the Raccoon Police Department. The remaining police, S.W.A.T. and soldiers all piled into their vehicles and retreated back to the station, hoping to be able to control and aid surviving civilians who settled within the police station to seek refuge.

Countless hours have passed which eventually became days. Some civilians were extremely lucky enough to manage to flee the city, others have sought refuge at the police station (including Sherry) while the rest were killed and turned into zombies. At East Raccoon Elementary, Principal Stanley had organised transport to the police station by using the school's spare buses. Although all the students and faculty were crammed on each of the buses, they never made it to the station due to the roadblocks and traffic.

The sounds of zombies were everywhere and a bloodstained S.W.A.T. helmet sat in the road, reflecting the images of the undead. The monsters have begun to take over Raccoon City.

Rats, mice and other rodents wandered about the murky, disgusting sewers, scurrying through pipes in search for food. There were bits of litter and broken glass all over the place. The rats began feeding upon small puddles of strange liquid, colored in purple, blue and green. The city’s water supply had become contaminated from the mysterious virus and the police station eventually became unsafe as more people turned… This however, is just the beginning…

* * *

^Sherry alone at home, eating breakfast. (https://i.imgur.com/0BolrKH)

 ^ Sherry finds her mother's letter. (https://i.imgur.com/yIAsgHw)

 

 ^ Raccoon City in Chaos (Original: https://imgur.com/2xqiJbS)

^ Sherry flees among the crowd through the streets of Raccoon City (Original: https://i.imgur.com/X3Wx8QD)

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Nightmare
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading through this chapter! I even included a cameo of the RE character Rebecca Chambers.


	3. Nightmare

**_\- September 29, 2018. Outer Raccoon City, Arklay County, Pennsylvania. Unknown Earth.-_ **

Nineteen-year-old college student Claire Redfield is riding along highway Route 86 on her Harley-Davidson motorcycle during the rainy night. She stops at the nearest gas station to refuel her motorcycle and receives a phone call. Claire reaches in her jeans’ pocket and plucked out her iPhone X to answer the call.

"Yeah I’m almost there."

"You know me I’ll be fine."

"Good. I’ll be back as soon as I find Chris."

"I will, but I gotta go." Clare then ended the conversation and hung up. "Why does everyone think I’m going to get in trouble?" She grins and shakes her head to herself. The Chris she was referring to was her brother Chris Redfield. As soon as she looked the screen of her phone, it only had 1% battery left. "Damn."

In order to pay for filling up, Claire walked over to the entrance of the gas station’s convenience store. The sign read ‘Come in, we’re OPEN!’ but the entire store was dark. It was as if there was no power. The only thing that lit up was the outer neon sign that read ‘MIZOIL.’ She didn't even see anyone inside.

"What the…"

Claire opened the door and called out. "Hello...? Hello?"

There was no answer. "Anybody here? Hello?..."

* * *

 

**_\- Some random field in Outer Raccoon City -_ **

Chris’ body exited the “vibed” portal created by A.M.A.Z.O and fell forty meters until he landed on a grassy field which left an indent. THUD! A  
winded Chris opened his eyes, slowly regaining consciousness to gather his thoughts and take in his surroundings.

"Uugghh... What was that? Some weird dream..." He said to himself.

There was green grass and plantation, dirt, rocks, trees and the night cloudy sky, which is raining. His hair and Kryptonian skinsuit is getting wet. Chris slowly stood up, groaning and clutching his head and abdomen. It was definitely night time but he knew that he couldn’t have been out that long. It didn’t make any sense. It was well into the day when he was fighting A.M.A.Z.O. along with the Justice League.

"Where… am I?" Chris asked himself.

“Watchtower, come in… Watchtower! Batman? Cyborg? Superman? Anyone?” He said more loudly, in an attempt to make contact. Then he remembered that his comms device was destroyed when he “exploded.” The only thing that survived was his indestructible supersuit and himself.

Well, at least his skinsuit and cape are waterproof and “literally everything else-proof” like all Kryptonian fibers and materials were. As a matter of fact, his skinsuit was actually a gift from Superman that he got on his 20th birthday. The skinsuit was similar to Superman’s but more elaborately designed, with the blues and reds being more vibrant and an almost identical red and yellowish-gold ‘House of El’ S emblem on his chest. Yes, Superman himself was Chris' mentor, who, ever since they first met, taught him how to hone his powers and about his Kryptonian heritage. But now, Chris was seemingly all alone in the middle of nowhere and with no way to contact Superman or any of his friends.

Wherever he was, he need to go back so he attempted to take off and fly… Only to find himself jump three meters in the air then land back on his feet. _What?_ He tries again but jumps four meters, only to land face first into the ground. That was embarrassing.

Chris groaned as he got up but is relatively fine. _My powers…What happened? They’re gone…!_ Just to make sure, he tried to run at super-speed but that didn't work either.  _My speed's gone too..._

This was not good as it was night time and still raining. This meant that his cells would not be able to recharge and process yellow solar radiation until the sun rises. He was powerless.

It wasn’t completely bad news when he remembered what Superman had taught him about Kryptonian physiology and how they are so different compared to humans. Even without their powers, a Kryptonian’s body, bones and tissue are still considerably stronger, sturdier, denser and more endurant than that of humans. This is because their bodies had been adapted to survive Krypton’s harsh environment, atmosphere and stronger gravity.

Chris is now just a normal Kryptonian, still much stronger than a human but nothing compared to what he is when charged with solar energy from Earth’s G-sequence star. There was no more flying, super-speeding, ‘out of the charts’ strength, bullets bouncing off, freezing breath or shooting beams out of his eyes.

After walking for a few minutes, his eyes spotted Route 86 and approached it. At least he wasn’t as lost anymore. Looking around, he spotted a ‘MIZOIL’ gas station not too far away. _Bingo! This isn’t so bad. I’ll stop at the gas station’s store and ask for directions. I’ll go to the nearest motel, stay the night and wait till sunrise. Yeah, that's a good plan._

He realised that he’s still wearing his supersuit and that he has no civilian clothes and glasses to change into. People are going to be either fanboying out or giving him weird looks when they see him. _Eh, I’ll just tell them that I was at a birthday party if people stare at me._

As he got closer to the gas station, something didn't feel right. There were a few vehicles around, including a red Harley motorcycle. One of them being a police car with the headlights still on and the sign on the door read ‘Raccoon City Police Department.’ However, there wasn't a single person inside any of those vehicles. This wasn't normal for a gas station. He took another look at something not far from the station. A large, green sign with white letters which read ‘Welcome to Raccoon City, Home of Umbrella’ in capital letters and a symbol of an umbrella on each side. In small text below, it shown that the estimated population was 1,940,000.  _Okay, Raccoon City… Never heard of it_. There wasn't a place called Raccoon City on Earth as far as he knew.

Chris’ eyes narrowed upon hearing grunting and screaming, sounding like a struggle. He didn't need super-hearing to hear that. It seemed to be coming from the store and signs near the front door that said ‘Mizoil Gas Station’ and ‘Come in, we’re OPEN!’ Chris opened the door which wasn’t locked.

“Hello? Is there anyone here?”

He noticed the whole place was dark and without his extra-sensory and vision powers, he couldn't see well. Was there even any power here? The sounds of struggling continued, giving the hint that there was trouble. He had a bad feeling about this. Powers or no powers, he's gonna put an end to whatever is happening. He grabbed a flashlight near the counter and turned it on in order to illuminate his surroundings.  _X-ray vision, I could use you right now_. There were stacks of groceries and other products. That part wasn't out of the ordinary but there was no one serving in the front counter. He then shone the light on the floor and saw a rat quickly scurry underneath the shelves, foraging for food. Apparently, this store has a rat problem. Chris noticed that this resembled a scene from some sort of horror movie. 

As Chris continued looking around and reached the cold food section, his eyes widened in surprise. There was a middle aged man in his forties, bald, wearing a blue shirt, black pants and black work boots. He was sitting on the floor against the wall and he was obviously the worker of the gas station. Chris saw that the man was bleeding as he had a rather nasty wound on the right side of his neck, covering it with his hand. The worker had a name-tag on his left side of his shirt; it read "MICHAEL."

"Oh my… Mister... Errr, Michael? Your name-tag sort of gave that away..." Chris ran kneeling down next to him. “Are you alright? That wound doesn't look good. We’re gonna need to get you to a hospital.” 

The wounded employee didn't answer and only pointed to the opened door on his right hand side. Normally, Chris would use his heat vision to cauterize the wound and eliminate infections then fly the man to the hospital but he couldn’t. Chris had used up all of his solar energy reserves when he overcharged his heat vision and unleashed a super-flare while fighting A.M.A.Z.O. With no powers, there wasn’t much he can do.

"I couldn't just leave you here. You need get that wound cleaned up." 

Again, the man still didn't respond and continued to point at the opened door. 

"You want me to go in there?" Chris asked the man. In response, the man weakly nodded. "Okay, stay here, I'm gonna go check it out... But I'll be back for you. I promise."

Chris entered through the door, into the store's storage and stock room. The grunting was getting louder as he went inside. There was another loud noise from behind as Chris turned around and saw that the heavy door has been closed. _Did the wounded employee do that? No time to think about that now_. Even if it’s locked, he might have enough strength force it back open but there was no turning back now. There was another door in front of him where the grunting noises were coming from. Chris approached and slowly opened the door. He saw a man wearing a police uniform with the Arklay Sheriff logo. The sheriff was having trouble controlling a man who seemed like he was having a seizure or panic attack. It looked like the person could be on drugs.

"Hold still!" The sheriff yelled at the man he was trying wrestle.

"What’s going on?! I can help you!" Chris told the sheriff.

"Stay back sir, I got this!"

That’s what the sheriff thought when the other man has pinned him to the ground. Chris was about to rush in and stop this person without hesitation. Like Superman, it was also his own duty to fight for truth, justice and the American way which includes stopping any lawbreakers. That should have been the case, and would have if he had his powers but instead, he just suddenly froze on the spot upon of what he was witnessing at this instant. The man has actually bit through the sheriff's neck and torn off some of his flesh off, spraying blood everywhere as the screams of the sheriff filled the place. Chris' flashlight shone on the person responsible for this heinous, cannibalistic act and eyes widened even more. Chris was in shock, just from the mere look. This man wasn't human, heck, he wasn't even alive. It hit him so hard of what could that monstrosity could be. 

"No way… A zombie…? A real one? That can't be..."

Chris knew what a zombie was, of course, as has read comics, seen movies and even played some video games about these types of creatures. But the thing is, that zombies usually long for human brains so why would it bite the poor sheriff's neck and tear it out? 

This has to be some sort of nightmare. What has he gotten himself into? Even though his current physical constitution is much greater than that of all humans and can possibly fight off the zombie, getting bitten was too risky. Chris knew that despite his dense body, he is no longer invulnerable. His only real protection was his skinsuit. At this point, zombies might, just might, actually be a threat to him. Chris only thought that "undead things" only existed in fiction, books, video games, movies and TV.

In high school, Chris has read and seen quite a few "zombie apocalypse" related topics for the fun of it. There was also the franchise called "The Walking Dead," which had comics, movies, TV serials and video games of the series.

Though not exactly the biggest fan of the series, Chris recalled that it was about a humble town that suddenly got swarmed by hordes of zombies. No one knows where they come from or how it happened but the remaining citizens did their best to survive. Battles were fought and some characters didn't make it. If you get bit by them, you become them. 

And if that undead man was indeed an actual zombie, then getting bit by him would turn more live people into zombies. The only difference was that this was seemingly real, not some sort of fictional media. Now, it seems like Chris was living his own horror story. It’s even worse since he was now powerless and more vulnerable than ever before. Chris was still holding the flashlight as the zombie was staring at him before it got up and started walking towards him.

It was moving slowly and dragged its feet, which is exactly how most zombies walked. Why was he just standing there, waiting to get eaten? He knew what to do and where to strike. The head was the common weak spot. They may be dead, but their brain is still alive. That's why a shot to the head will do the trick and neutralize it. Chris came to his senses and had to accept that this was very real. He saw a crowbar next to him and instinctively grabbed it, ready to strike the zombie. Before he could react, the zombie was shot in the head and it fell to the ground, dead.

Chris turned around to see the one who has killed the zombie. It was a girl, looking in her late teens, around nineteen. She was a brunette, hair tied into a ponytail and had blue eyes and reddish-pink lipstick. She was wearing a red leather jacket with a black tank top, black belt and firearm holster with blue jeans and half-length dark brown-gray boots. She was able to shoot the zombie because he was shining the flashlight to where it stood. Chris should have acted instantly instead of freezing up. The next time was going to be different.

"You okay?" Asked the brunette girl.

"Never better… I'm still trying grasp at what I just saw. I mean... I saw it but still working on believing. " Chris responded sheepishly.

"I didn’t believe it either, but it’s real. You would have been next." She pointed to the body of the sheriff. Chris inwardly laughed of that ironic comment. Even with his limited strength, he could have thrown that zombie across the room.

"Yeah, thank you." He nodded in gratitude.

A sudden noise from outside caught their attention. The girl was able to look through the small glass window of the closed door.

"Shit. There’s more of them!"

"More zombies? I thought one was bad enough." Chris added.

"We have to get the hell out of here now! I found a key. Maybe it can open that door." She pointed at the door not far from them.

As the girl went to open the door, Chris' eyes widened as the body of the sheriff got up. He was no longer a human; he has turned into a zombie. It happened way faster than he thought. It was going straight for the girl.

"Look out!" Chris dashed over and struck the creature in the head with the crowbar, killing it and sending the corpse flying several meters away. The crowbar tip was covered in blood.  _Rao, forgive me._

"Whoa, Thanks. Guess that makes us even." The girl was briefly amazed how a simple swing of a crowbar sent the zombie off its feet, flying. She smiled at him before she took the flashlight from his hand and had a better look at him.

The guy she saved had dark brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing some sort of textured and somewhat reflective flashy superhero outfit mostly colored blue with a pentagonal-diamond shaped red and yellowish-gold 'S' emblem on his chest. A red cape that flowed down to the ground, red boots, a red belt with a smaller pentagonal-diamond shaped gold buckle with the same but miniature 'S' emblem. He also had silver 'chevron cuffs' on his wrists. Contours and lighter metallic-like shading on the suit even outlined his muscles and ‘six pack.’ He kinda looked like he was dressed as a superhero for Halloween or something; if that was the case, his outfit would definitely be the best she's seen. He was well-built with muscles and stood about five inches taller than her, his physique reminding her of her own brother.

"Oh right, the costume-"

"I don’t want to sound rude but we need to go, like now!" They saw that more zombies had broken through the other door and saw that the gas station worker has already turned. "Come on!" She quickly unlocked the door.

They were back in the store and there were around five, no, six zombies already. Just where the heck did they all come from? The girl readied her SLS-60 handgun nodding to Chris and he nodded back. She fired at the closest right in the head while Chris dashed over and bludgeoned through the zombies, sending them flying as if they were ragdolls. Another one was killed by the gunfire from the girl and the last one was hit so hard that it decapitated the zombie and sent the rest of the corpse flying into the cold food area. The girl briefly looked at Chris in awe.

"Looks like it's over, for now." She said.

"Well, if this is going to be exactly like 'The Walking Dead,' then I doubt it's over. There's always more of them." 

"Wait, how did you just do that? You must really strong to send these things flying around with just a crowbar." The girl remained in awe not forgetting how she saw Chris fight the undead. That guy had a respectable physique alright, but he was seemingly even more stronger than he looked.

Before Chris can answer, they saw someone entering the store, they readied their weapons again. A young man with light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a navy blue jacket and polo shirt, with blue jeans and gray sneakers. Another civilian. He pointed his Matilda handgun at the two. 

"Wait, I'm not a zombie!" Chris put his hands up.

"Whoa, don’t shoot!" The girl did the same and put her hands up.

"Get down!"

Both did as they told and once they crouched, the man fired his pistol. A bullet striking the head of the zombie behind them. There was a total of seven in the store. Chris was shocked, failing to realize there was one so close to him and his new acquaintance. The girl reacted as she got up.

"We gotta get out of here!" The young man hollered.

"I'm with you." Followed Chris.

"You two all right?" Said the man gazing at the two as they exited the store.

"Yeah…I think so. Thanks." The girl replied.

He then turned to Chris eyeing him up and down, noticing his strange Kryptonian skinsuit. "A little early for Halloween, don't you think?"

"Oh right… Birthday party. Superhero themed."

"You two can thank me later, when we're safe."

"Holy shit." The girl pointed her gun.

At that moment, a horde of zombies are now heading their way. Chris knew that even with his limited strength, he can fight off one or a few zombies but an entire horde? Probably not. Chris wished that sunrise was now so he can get recharge his powers and put an end to this mess. This certainly was a nightmare come true. The only protection he had was his indestructible Kryptonian skinsuit and some random crowbar that he picked up.

"We can’t fight them all. It's suicide." Chris gazed at the police car on the side of the driver's door, the key was still inside the ignition. "There. Everybody in that car!"

The trio ran to the police car as the zombies were getting closer. The young man dodged a zombie while the girl pushed one out of the way and Chris struck one, sending it flying into more of them. The man went to the driver's seat while the girl sat in the passenger seat and Chris got seated behind her.

"Hold on!" Closing the doors, the young man turned on the engine and did a one-eighty degree turn before driving off from the gas station, passing the Raccoon City sign.

* * *

 

Chris was still trying to get things through his head, letting his brain process everything he witnessed in the past ten minutes. He appeared in some unknown place called Raccoon City, which he has never heard of before, he meets a zombie, a nice cute but badass girl, more zombies and a young man who is another survivor. How did he even end up here in the first place? The last thing he remembered was fighting A.M.A.Z.O and his body becoming a mini supernova. A bigger shocker is that he has killed those undead creatures and the top of the crowbar is still stained with their blood. Chris leaned on the back seat, with his eyes closed and letting out a breath. 

 _Why was this happening to me? What about the Justice League? Superman? Where were they? Are they alright? Has Superman stopped Luthor?_ These questions only made Chris more anxious.  _Wait a minute, How could this have happened in the first place? Not only that, those two people don't seem recognize me as Superman II. Like Superman and the League, I'm pretty famous too. This really is weird._

"What the hell is going on?" He was snapped back to reality by the girl's question.

"I don't know… Hopefully, they'll have some answers at the police station." The young man looked from the middle rear view mirror at Chris. "You okay back there?"

"Never better." He faked a smile, feeling somewhat perplexed right now.

"Wait, you're a cop?" The girl asked.

"Yeah, Leon Kennedy." The young man introduced himself. "You are…?" He turned to the girl.

"Claire- Claire Redfield." Replied the girl as she looked into the back seat at Chris.

"Oh me?" He realized he hasn't introduced himself yet. _So they really have no idea who I am, nor do they recognize me._ "Supe- Chris. Christopher Kent. Nice to meet you too." He had to consider this carefully, if he told them he was Superman II, they may think him to be crazy. So he stuck with his human identity.

Claire thought for a second. "Chris huh? My brother's name is Chris too."

"Any of you live around here?" Leon asked.

"No, looking for my brother. He's a cop too."

"Well, it's a good thing we found each other. What about you Chris?"

"No, I-I uh, come from Southern California."  
  
"What made you come here?"

"I... came to visit a friend who lived close to this area..." Chris lied.

* * *

 

The real backstory was that Chris was from the planet Krypton, in the city of Kandor. His biological name was being Lor-Em. He was born two years before the planet's core became unstable and imploded. He is actually chronologically older than Superman/Kal-El. Like Kal's parents Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, Lor's parents had the same idea and planned to rocket him to Earth to ensure his survival. However, unlike Kal-El, Lor's journey wasn't an entire success and his Kryptonian escape pod was knocked off course into the Phantom Zone and he was stuck there for twenty years before somehow managing to escape and resume course to Earth. His pod crash landed in the outskirts of Southern California, to be found a kind couple who had decided to adopt him and raise him as their own son, giving him the name Christopher. Similar to how Jonathan and Martha Kent had done the same with Kal-El years before. Ironically, Chris' parents Sarah and Ben had the same last name 'Kent' but were not related to Jonathan nor Martha.

* * *

 

^ A depowered Superman II meets Claire and Leon. (Original: https://imgur.com/QtsVbqf)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise that in RE lore, Raccoon City is actually ~100,000 in population but since this Resident Evil 2 is set in 2018 for this story, it would be more or less realistic if the city had way more people.
> 
> Next Chapter: Arrival in Raccoon City


	4. Arrival in Raccoon City

_**\- 20 minutes later. Inner Raccoon City -**  _

The trio finally arrived at the city and Chris was shocked when it first came to view. The whole place looked completely deserted. As they got closer, it was worse than they imagined. The streets were empty, cars were all piled up, some businesses like restaurants and other shopping places were destroyed as if someone broke in and looted those places. There were barricades, destroyed vehicles, fires, electrical malfunctions among other things. Chris couldn't believe it. He asked himself what was worse; Superman and General Zod's battle in Metropolis seven years ago or this. It was somewhat comparable in a certain way. The Battle of Metropolis had way more collateral damage with half of the central city and buildings destroyed along with thousands of casualties, but at least most of the population managed to survive and Superman was able to help the city recover from the aftermath. Raccoon City didn't have anywhere near as much collateral damage but there doesn't seem to be a living soul around here. It’s like the apocalypse has hit the city this bad; basically the inverse version of Metropolis. _How many survived? How many escaped? How many died?_

 _*Attention all citizens: Due to the citywide outbreak, you are advised to take shelter at the Raccoon City Police Station._ _Free food and medical supplies will be provided to everyone in need.*_

 _An outbreak. A zombie outbreak just like The Walking Dead. Did I end up entering into one of my Netflix series? This is just too unreal. Even for me._ Chris didn't have any words after hearing the recorded announcement from the radio.

"Oh my God, this is so unreal." Claire was in shock and disbelief gazing at the desolated streets.

"The police station's not much farther. They'll know something." Leon said.

"Yeah, but…What if we're the only ones? What if there's no survivors-"

"No. There's survivors. It's a big city…There has to be." Leon insisted.

 _I hope you're right_. Despite this horror, Chris was trying to remain optimistic and hoping for the best. Since this is real, so many people could have died during the zombie outbreak.

The car stopped as they were in front of a barricade and behind it, so many cars were piled up. It was a dead end. Chris gazed through his window seeing more zombies eating a corpse. _Why did they have to stop here and now?_  Of course it had to be similar to any horror survival movie. Any vehicle will eventually become absolutely useless and will have to travel by foot. It was so dark and if this city was plagued by zombies, getting to their destination wasn't going to be that easy. It was always the hard way, there's no easy way out; especially for himself. No powers, super-speeding or flying in the middle of a deadly zombie apocalypse. That sucked. Right now, his priority was to survive, hold out ‘til sunrise and help these two people he’d just met. They needed to get to the police station. Who knows, maybe he will get some answers and even an explanation about this whole thing there.

"Looks like we're walking from here." Leon turned off the engine.

"I knew this was gonna happen." Chris said stoically.

"Not like we have much of a choice."

"Don't you think we could have parked somewhere else?" Chris became worried.

Claire looked from her window at the same zombies that were eating a dead body. They have suddenly stopped their meal and were staring at the trio inside the police car. The zombies wanted fresh meat. "More like running." She added. 

"Or you can start the car again and get us somewhere safe." Chris suggested.

 _That is if there is a safe place besides the police station_. Chris added inwardly.

"Yeah, good call."

A zombie popped near Leon’s window; good thing it was closed.

"Jesus Christ!" Claire gasped upon seeing another zombie outside her window. "Leon! We gotta back up!"

Dozens of zombies were now all over the front of the police car. It couldn't get any worse than this.

"Well, that's not great…" Chris noticed a truck heading their way. Now they have no way to turn back.

"What the-?!" Leon saw the speeding truck too.

The truck was hitting all zombies in the way. The driver was wounded on his left shoulder, trying to control the vehicle.

"Holy shit!" Claire exclaimed.

"We have to get out. Pronto!" Chris raised his voice.

"Get out you two! Get out NOW!" Leon yelled.

"Not without you!" Chris insisted as he wasn't going to lose someone on his watch.

"I can't!" Claire cried as there was a zombie outside her door too, preventing her from opening it.

"Wait!" Chris was able to kick the car door off and overpowered the zombie on his side, sending it flying away. He then used the car door as a weapon and shield to knock away the zombie on Claire's side. Before Claire can open the door, they all noticed that the truck was so close to them now.

"Hold on!" Leon shouted.

The truck driver finally lost consciousness as the wheel turned left and the truck hit a few cars, zombies and the police car Claire and Leon were in. Chris tried to pry Claire's door off with his bare hands but it was too late. Chris grunted and dived eight meters away in a single bound. He then got up and gave chase to the car.  _No, no, no, no!_  The car was spinning around fast, until it stopped.

Claire’s door finally opened as she got out. Chris approached the car and could smell the fuel leaking from below the vehicle and with nearby flames; this wasn’t good. Chris grabbed Claire and fell to the ground as an explosion followed. He was on top of her and used his cape to shield her from the blast. Another larger explosion from the truck occurred, and since Chris was closest to it, he was sent flying into a car which heavily damaged it. Chris felt his back crumpling the door of the car while the windows shattered and the vehicle itself moved a foot with the tires screeching slightly. To an ordinary human, this would have shattered their spine and caused critical injuries but due to Chris’ denser physiology and the extra padding within the back of his skinsuit, the impact didn't really faze him that much.

Claire was taken aback by his action. He barely knows her and protected her as if his life depended on it. It was an admiring act, but stupid. Nonetheless, she was extremely grateful. She didn't know if she would do the same for him though.

"Chris! You okay?" She ran to him worried as he got up.

"Yeah, I'm fine.” He smiled silly.

"Fine?" Claire's eyes were widened. It shocked her because she knew that kind of impact would be enough to break anyone's spine, but Chris just got up as if it was nothing.

"No…" Chris gasped as he saw the police car in flames. "Where's Leon? ... LEON!"

"Claire! Chris! You two okay?!" Came the voice of the rookie cop from the other side. That was a relief.

"Yeah, we are!" Chris waved back. "This place isn't safe. You need to leave. Now!" He was seeing more zombies heading their way; there were everywhere.

"Go on ahead! We'll meet you at the station!" Claire yelled over the flames.

"Got it!" Leon replied and ran off.

"Claire, stay behind me!" Chris ran over to a parked car, punched the window and started to tear the door off. With his limited strength, this took more effort to do. He intended to use the car door as a weapon and shield.

Claire's eyes widened as she saw him pluck the door off a random car. _How did he just do that? Him being shrugging off an explosion and tearing a car door with his bare hands? This was something else. No one can do that. There’s definitely something different about him._

“Behind me!” Chris repeated as Claire snapped back to reality and nodded still looking at him. With the car door as a shield, it will be easier to pass through zombies that get close to them. It didn't mean she was going to stand in the side lines and do nothing. She still had her SLS-60 and some ammo left. She will have to conserve it until she finds more.

Both ran through the streets avoiding all zombies. Chris was worried, however, because he had no idea where to go. He'd never set foot in this city so he was pretty much clueless to where the police station could be. Claire was in the same boat since she's not from around here, but both of them knew one thing; they had to keep moving. They have to survive and meet up with Leon. Chris noticed more zombies were near them so he hit the undead with the car door, sending them flying away and kicking another zombie with his foot, sending that one flying into a nearby car while another one was shot in the head. Chris turned to Claire who nodded to him; they have each other's back.

The duo kept on running the streets. Many of the paths were blocked by barricades or piled vehicles. They took the ones that were free and hope it wasn't filled with zombies. They followed through an alley way only to find more company waiting for them. 

"It's like the end of the world." Claire commented.

Chris bulldozed through a bunch of zombies with the car door while telling Claire not to waste ammo on them and keep running. Going down an underground staircase and up another one, it led them to another part of the city. There were more cars, fires and zombies too but there was one large building that caught their attention. It had the initials R.P.D. as in Raccoon Police Department. This is where they needed to go.

"The police station… Almost there!" Claire said pointing.

They actually made it already. This was a relief for Chris since he didn't know where to go. Chris kept using the car door as a shield and weapon against any approaching zombies. Claire remained behind him as they weren't that far from their destination. She was hoping that Leon was close by.

"There's the entrance to the police station!" Chris told her.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Zombies from all directions were getting close to them. Claire shot a few just before reaching the main gate. The way is in the clearing until a pack of dogs suddenly emerged. They were missing pieces of their flesh, showing that they were indeed infected as well as people. Claire recognized the breeds Doberman, German Shepherd and Rottweiler and they didn't look friendly at all. Chris told her to work on opening the gate while he kept the undead hounds busy. They charged at him but he blocked and knocked them away with the car door. Claire finally opened the gate as she went in with Chris following by. Chris threw the car door as a frisbee to take out more approaching zombies, then he closed the otherwise large and heavy iron gate as Claire helped and secured the lock. The zombies were pounding on it while the dogs were barking. That should hopefully hold them off for a while. 

They were finally out of danger, for the time being. Both were catching their breath from all of the running they were doing with Claire hunching over. Although, Chris was to a much lesser extent since he was more endurant than humans. After all, he was the one wielding a heavy car door as if it were light shield made of tin foil.

"We made it…You good?" Chris asked helping Claire up.

"Yeah…I just hope Leon finds another way to get here."

"I'm sure he will. He seems like he can hold his own."

"You know…" She grinned and turned to him. "For someone in a superhero costume, you really are super strong. I mean how did you do all that? I don’t think I could even lift that car door!"

"Uh... I've been working out... a lot..." Chris fibbed before changing the subject. "So this is Raccoon City. Not gonna lie, I've never even heard of it."

"Seriously? Everyone in this country knows about Raccoon City... Anyway, why are you wearing that costume? I mean it looks cool and all but why? You couldn't have been at some birthday party, the nearest town isn't for another eighty or so miles."

 _Crap. She saw through my 'birthday party' excuse from earlier._ "It's not a costume, it's my supersuit. Well, most of the time. This is what I wear when I'm needed."

"You're kidding?" Claire stood shocked, with a weird look on her face.

"Wait, you honestly don't recognize me?" Chris really wanted to find out if she knew him as Superman II.

"No. Should I?"

Chris tried to changed the subject again. _She really doesn't know who I am and neither does Leon._ _It's as if I don't exist._ "Honestly, I really don't know where I am. Raccoon City, I got that but what county or state are we in?"

"Wow, really? This is Arklay County, in Pennsylvania. Don't tell me you're one of these people that get lost or forget things so easily." Claire tried to suppress a laugh. She's beginning to think that this guy is weird.

Chris, however, noticed and could tell what she was thinking. He then thought. _Maybe I shouldn’t say anymore. Besides, my secret identity doesn't even matter here but I won’t tell her that I'm known as Superman II. She really doesn't know who I am. There doesn't seem to be any superheroes or Justice League around here because if there were, none of this would have ever happened. It’s like as if I’m like in a parallel universe or different Earth as Flash would call it, but I hope not. She's looking at me like I'm crazy just because I know absolutely nothing about a place called Raccoon City, in the state of Pennsylvania. When the sun rises and my powers recharge, maybe I can show her who I really am and put an end to this mess._

He then sighed. "No it's just a long day for me. I can handle myself and I want to help you find your brother. That's what matters most, right?"

Claire's mood then changed back serious. "That's good enough for me." She turned to the building before them. "I hope he's here."

"We won't know until we check it out."

She nodded as they both walked towards the building. There was a small staircase and on top were the R.P.D. initials and below it read 'Raccoon Police,' as they were heading to the front door of the police station.

* * *

^ Claire and Superman II fighting zombies in Raccoon City, on the way to the Police Station. (https://imgur.com/CsLBGBD)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A Doomed City


	5. A Doomed City

**_\- Raccoon City Police Station. -_ **

Chris followed Claire as they walked up the small staircase leading to the entrance of the station. Claire readied her gun while Chris readied himself to fight unarmed should something or someone try to jump out and attack them. They had no idea of what could be waiting for them inside so it was best to be prepared. Both of them nodded to each other as they opened the doors.

When they entered, the place had two floors, showing that it was indeed vast. Even bigger than either of them thought. Chris knew that this is obviously the main hall as his eyes looked around. Right in front of them was a large wooden desk with plenty of folders and paper work left to fill out and just behind it had two pillars on either side which appeared to be made from marble. Behind the pillars was a big statue of an ivory colored elegant woman holding a flag held high in her right hand. It seems like whoever was supposed to fill in those folders has been missing for a while. Behind that, was an ivory wall with two staircases on both sides leading up, again showing off the elegance of this place. 

"Get a load of this place." Chris said out loud, in wonder. 

There were some racks of curtains around, as he figured out that's the medical bay where they're supposed to taking care of the wounded and those in need of food and other supplies. Next to him, was another empty medical bed. It seems like there was no one around. 

"Anybody here?!" Claire yelled out, but there was no response.

Chris was having a very bad feeling about this as there wasn't a single soul inside the police station. This place was supposed to be a safe haven for civilians during the outbreak. He went on to explore the main hall with his female companion.

Walking over to the desk, there was a small box with a picture of .9mm rounds. Claire picked them up as she needed more ammo for her gun. They then noticed a computer that was left on. Chris stared at the monitor where on the screen, it had the initials ‘R.P.D.’

"This might help." Claire went to the keyboard, pressing the keys.

It showed a desktop and quickly brought four split screens of different places in the station. It was obvious that this was the live feed from the surveillance cameras.

"Come on, Chris, where are you?" Claire mumbled referring to her brother, obviously worried.

One of the live feeds showed a police officer shooting a zombie. _Looks like there were still survivors after all._ Chris thought. The cop kept shooting at zombies while running.

"We must help him." Chris said as he continued to watch the live footage.

 _*David! Marvin! You there?! I found a way out! It's in here!*_ The officer turned to stare at the camera while showing a note book and waving it around.

He put the notebook away as he dodged the zombie that got close to him. He kept on shooting at it, showing that he really needed help.

 _*Send reinforcements! East Hallway!*_ The cop ran off.

"Where is he exactly?" Chris asked.

Claire pressed another key, showing a map of the police station. A part of it was flashing red, indicating that the live footage was originating from the 'east hallway.'

"I don't think anyone else will come to help him and he won't last much longer. We need to find him before it's too late." Chris told Claire.

She nodded as her eyes fell on the desk. There was a map of the station which is just what they needed, especially since they needed find that cop, her brother and Leon. Since they were after all, in an unfamiliar place, they had no sense of direction. The newfound map was the only thing they could rely on.

* * *

 

The east hallway was located on the right side so the duo went in that direction. There was a metal roller door with the R.P.D. initials and above it, a white half square with a white star. This seemed to be the only way in to the east hallway. There was a sign stuck to it that read ‘KEEP OUT.’ Chris didn't blame whoever put that sign up since that person put it up for a good reason. However, instead of obeying the sign, they were going straight in. It was the only way if they wanted to help the cop in distress. Claire reached for the switch of the door and pulled the lever down. The red light changed green but the door only moved upwards a few inches. It was stuck.

"Perfect. Just what we needed." Claire muttered sarcastically.

"Allow me." Chris put his hands under the reinforced door and attempted to push it up. He had some success but it was harder than he thought since the door was mechanically controlled. Chris was able to open the door one-third of the way until it really got stuck and his hands started to bend the metal. The more he tried, the more his hands hurt. Claire gaped at Chris again. _No human could force a mechanical roller door like that._  

"Well... We don't have much choice but to go under it... I'll go first."

"Okay, I'll watch your back. Take the flashlight." Claire nodded while looking around the place, making sure no zombie popped out.

"Thanks." He smiled while taking it.

Chris crouched as he tried to get a better view. It wasn't good news. On the ground, there was dry blood, giving the impression that this must have happened a while back. Unfortunately, the flashlight wasn't helping much. Now, he really wished he had his extrasensory and vision powers; X-ray, heat vision and super-hearing especially. It kinda sucked on how he was no longer able to see in the dark clearly or perceive the entire electromagnetic spectrum which were part of his Kryptonian vision powers. Nonetheless, he continued to look around and after a better look, he saw that the walls were also covered in blood. He deduced that this outbreak has been going on for quite a while because of the conditions outside of the station and now the dried blood. Looking a bit more, there was a long hallway and there doesn't seem to be any zombies in the vicinity, for now.

However, as Chris shone the flashlight around, a bulletin board of photos along with missing persons posters caught his attention. Much to his shock, there were so many people that went missing or could have died during this outbreak. These people were adults, teenagers and even young children. Each individual had a photo of them along with their name, age, date of birth and physical descriptions. Chris was then suddenly snapped out of it by Claire's voice calling out to him.

"How does it look?" Claire asked.

"Not good. There's bloodstains everywhere. I admit that I've never seen anything this bad."

"If it's what you say, should we really go in there? There might be another way."

"No. We have to get to that guy quickly... The good news is that this way looks safe. We should be able to pass through."

Claire took a brief moment to stare at Chris. He was still wearing that costume and cape, but she had to admit that the outfit kinda suits him for some reason.

"Let's go." Chris told Claire while he was already inside. The live footage on the camera feed which showed a zombie chasing that cop means there could be more zombies somewhere around here, so they still had to be alert. As they traveled the dark bloody hallway, the duo spotted a fuse box but it was missing a fuse. There were a couple of doors but they didn't need to explore them for the moment; their priority was helping that cop. Passing a double door, their path was blocked by a steel locker. Chris volunteered to remove it and done so easily. He put in the right place with the others so they can proceed.

As they continued further down the hallway, the floor was suddenly flooded with water. There must be a leak somewhere. Looking above, there was a sign of the male, female and cripple restrooms. That is most likely where the leak was, coming from a broken pipe or a toilet malfunctioning.

The more they traveled down the hallway, Chris' bad feeling was becoming stronger. Broken dark places are a bad sign, with only trouble waiting for them at the end. By the time they find that police officer, the whole place would be surrounded by zombies. They saw another door but this one had a thick heavy-duty chain wrapped around the handle and Chris wasn't sure if his strength would be enough break it. There were more smashed furniture and desks along with more blood and mutilated corpses. The sight worried and disgusted Chris more, zombies couldn't have done this massacre no matter the numbers. _I don't like this... I don't like this at all_ _._

"Ugh, oh my god…" Claire said in shock as she saw the sight.

Suddenly, a loud voice was coming through. "OPEN UP! HURRY! OPEN UP!" The loud shouting coming wasn't that far.

"The police officer. That has to be him." Chris looked at Claire.

"OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR!" The shouting continued.

"We're coming!" Claire called out.

They entered a room where the screams were coming from and there was another closed metal roller door. It was the fire safety door and they could hear struggling coming from the other side.

"I'm here!" Claire called out again.

"Hang in there! We're gonna get you out, alright?" Chris followed.

"OPEN THE DOOR! HURRY UP! HURRY UP, OPEN IT!" The cop sounded so terrified and desperate.

Chris placed his hands under the door and started lift it a little, while Claire joined in to help him. _Great, another one that's_ _super stuck! Are all these doors like that here?_ They succeeded in opening it a little as the arm of the cop emerged, holding the notebook that he showed off on camera. 

"Here, give me your hand!" The cop told them.

"We've got you!"

"Here, here, help me!"

Claire grabbed one hand and Chris with the other but they felt a jolt. Something was preventing them from easily and safely pulling the officer out. Even with his superior strength, he still had to be careful when handling people. Something was pulling the officer back with greater strength. The cop starting screaming in agony while Chris started to overpower the opposing strength. Unfortunately, blood was being spilled when they were pulling the officer in. At this moment, the most gruesome sight laid before their eyes. The duo was only able to pull the upper half of the man, followed by a trail of blood as the metal door closed. Chris was beyond shocked; this was the first time he has seen so much blood in his entire life. The smell was awful and he could even see the man's insides. He felt so useless without his powers because he knew he could have easily saved the man with them. As Superman II, Chris rescued injured civilians and was able to get to them to safety before something worse happened, but here, this was simply not the case.

"Claire, are you alright?"

She nodded quickly, obviously shocked and pale in the face, feeling bad that they weren't able to save him. The metal door was constantly being aggressively pounded on from the other side. Claire knelt down and took the officer's notebook. 

"Tell Marvin…" The cop managed to give his last words before truly dying.

They needed this if they wanted to find a way out but first, they need to find Chris Redfield and Leon.

"Oh God. I'm so sorry…" Claire could only whisper, obviously very shaken.

"We did our best but we were just too late."

"Yeah, if only we would have come a lot sooner…"

"I know, but we can't waste any more time. We shouldn't be staying here for much longer... We need to move on before-"

Chris was interrupted as the door to the room burst open and a police zombie emerged. Now more zombies were coming for them like they did with that cop. Claire reacted quickly as she shot its head but it wasn't enough to bring it down. Chris finished it off by picking up a ceramic potted plant and throwing it like a softball at the zombie's head, causing serious damage and sent the corpse flying. 

Both of them quickly left the room as another zombie emerged from the window, breaking the glass. They ran back to the way the came only to find two more zombies blocking their path. It was as if they were waiting for them to come. Claire fired her gun while Chris kicked one away, sending it a couple meters away. Chris then threw a chair with great force and accuracy, with the chair's legs impaling another zombie through the eyes and into its brains. The duo finally made it to the metal door that led them back to the main hall. Behind them, more zombies were coming their way.

"Go! I'll hold them off!" Chris told Claire.

"No, I'm not leaving without you!" She argued.

"I can handle this. You need to go!"

"I'm not leaving you!" After what she saw, there was no way she was leaving Chris. He may be physically very strong but crazy if he thinks he can take all those zombies completely unarmed.

"I’ll be right behind you, I promise!"

"You better be! I don't want you to end up like that cop!"

Claire crawled under the door to the other side without any problems. Chris followed, but one of the zombies grabbed his foot and bit it. Fortunately, Kryptonian fibers were indestructible and the zombie's teeth could not penetrate through his boot; not even so much as putting a scratch on it. When the zombie bit down harder, it's teeth began to break away. Claire was surprised again.

"Get off!" Chris kicked the zombie away. He made it out but the zombie recovered and was persistent. Someone grabbed Chris out of the way as he placed his boot on the edge of the metal roller door and closed it on the zombie's brains, killing it instantly. Chris' rescuer was an African-American man who looked like he was in his early forties and wearing a blue police uniform. He had an obvious wound on the right side of his stomach which didn't look good. Chris was shocked. _Did that guy get bitten as well? I hope not but if he did, he will eventually turn._

"You all alright?"

"Yeah, Thanks." Chris nodded with gratitude as he quickly got himself up.

"You're safe…For now. Name's Marvin Branagh."

"Chris Kent." He shook the cop's left hand since his right was covering the wound.

"A little early for Halloween ain’t it?" Marvin took notice of Chris’ Kryptonian skinsuit while the latter just shrugged.  _Another one who doesn't seem to recognize me._

"Thanks for your help." Claire added.

"It should be expected that you two would come here... But you came a little too late I'm afraid." Marvin walked over to a sofa with a laptop on it, getting seated while the two followed.

"What happened to this city?" Claire asked with impending curiosity.

"It all happened so quickly... within a span of a few days. Before anyone knew it, people were eating people."

"It really is a zombie apocalypse after all. I didn't want to believe it.” Chris replied.

"So, nobody knows what caused this?" Claire asked again.

"There’s a lot of theories… But all I know for sure is that this place is crawling with zombies."

"Yeah, you’re telling me... Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Claire- Claire Redfield."

"Redfield?" Marvin reacted and turned. "As in Chris Redfield?"

"Yeah, he's my brother. Have you seen him?"

"He’s on vacation. Europe, I think. Left weeks ago."

"Vacation?" Claire stood a little taken aback. "That's…That's great news."

"At least now we know he's safe." Chris grinned and nodded at Claire. "By the way Marvin, we got this from another officer. Unfortunately, he didn't  
make it, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sure you did the best you could." Marvin took the notebook from Claire's hand, opening it. "I might have more good news for you. Looks  
like there may be a way out through this secret passageway." He pointed to the opened notebook, showing them a small handwritten map.

"That's what the officer said when we watched the live surveillance footage. He might have found a way out." Chris stated.

"His name was Elliot. He was a good man and had a wonderful family."

Claire took the notebook back, checking the map. Marvin was suddenly groaning in pain, clutching where he had been wounded.

"Hey, we really should get you to a hospital." Chris looked, concerned.

"Oh no… Forget about me. I can take care of myself."

Chris stood silent; maybe Marvin already knows that there's no way out of this. _He will eventually become a zombie, possibly within the hour._ Chris thought about this but deep down, he really wished that wasn't the case.

"No, don't be ridiculous. You're gonna need help-" Claire insisted.

"Listen Claire. Save yourself and your friend... So you can see your brother again."

"Let's do as he says." Chris whispered.

"Now… You're gonna need this." Marvin handed her one of his two-way radios. "And this." Followed by a large combat knife.

 _Now that's a knife!_ Chris remembered that line from some old Australian movie called Crocodile Dundee.

"And be careful. If any of you see one of those things- no matter who they were- you can't hesitate. Take em' out if you  
can, or you run."

"We know." Chris nodded. He really didn't like the idea of killing what were once civilized people, but now there wasn't a choice. Zombies weren't living and they can't be reasoned with or rehabilitated.

Marvin turned to Chris noticing that he was completely unarmed. "Please tell me you're not going to fight those things unarmed?"

"I was using a crowbar… but I think I lost it." Chris thought about it. Marvin was right.

"Hey, Chris is actually pretty strong and he hits pretty hard. I saw him treat those things as if they were ragdolls. He even  
threw a car door like it was a frisbee. He has saved me a lot of ammo." Claire stepped in, not forgetting what her new friend was capable of.

Marvin shook his head and disagreed. "It doesn't matter how strong you are... What if you encounter an enemy in the distance and Claire isn't there to back you up? You're going to need some firepower. You have to be prepared for anything, if you want to survive this mess. Here." Marvin offered Chris his glock handgun.

"But I…I can't take this. What about you?" Chris didn't want Marvin to be unarmed.

"Just take it. I don't need it anymore."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Claire asked, visibly concerned.

"Come on, Claire. Let's go." He reluctantly took the handgun from the officer since he wasn't giving him much of a choice.

* * *

 

^ Claire and Superman II arrive at the police station. (https://imgur.com/4n5sZvZ)

^ Chris and Claire meet Marvin (https://i.imgur.com/g6XEprb) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Finding a way out


	6. Finding a way out

The duo decided to leave Marvin alone as Chris joined Claire examining the hand drawn map in Elliot's notebook. First, there was a diagram of a statue of the goddess holding the flag and there was some writing saying ‘three medallions.’ Then there was a passage below the statue that leads underground, all the way to the parking lot of the police station. They needed three medallions to open that passage, but where were they going to start? Claire went to the next page and there were drawings of three more statues. They were a lion, a unicorn and a maiden. Below each of the statues were drawings neither of the two could seem to understand. So they decided to investigate the goddess statue first before exploring the place any further.

As they got closer, there were three empty circular slots below the woman-flag statue. They made the connection that this is where the medallions go. It is confirmed that they needed to find them in order to activate the secret passage that will take them out of the police station. Claire noticed a statue up on the second floor and she told Chris to follow her. Walking up the long staircase, they were surprised to see that the statue was of a lion holding a shield, with a circular slot in the middle but it was closed. Chris checked the book again, it has to be it.

"Well, we found one... So that's some good news."

"I'm not complaining. These drawings must be the answer."

"Look at this." Chris saw a mechanism below the statue that had icons on them and he touched one of them. "Hey, you can move them. They roll up or down."

"We know what to do now. We match the drawings in the notebook." Claire stated as Chris nodded in approval.  

Claire moved the first icon following Elliot's book, which was a lion. The second was a fern and the third was an eagle. A loud sound caught their attention as the lid on the shield opened revealing the lion medallion. Chris noticed that the icons were zodiac signs. Leo, Virgo and Scorpio.

"Hey, it actually worked." Chris grinned.

"One down, two to go." Claire smiled back.

"I don't think the other two would be that easy to find, though."

As they went down the stairs, the duo decided to put medallion in one of the slots below the goddess statue. A louder sound was made as the statue went higher, revealing a few iron bars below. Behind it was a cell door which must lead to the way out, or, at least it was the first step.

"So, Elliot was right all along." Marvin watched what happened when they inserted the medallion into one of the slots. The secret passage is in the statue of the Goddess.

"Yeah, but we still need the other two."

"Looks like we're going to do some medallion hunting." Chris added.

"Hang in there Marvin. We won't be long."

Claire was really determined to help him and Chris also wanted to believe that there was still hope for Marvin. That was what the 'S' or House of El emblem meant on Krypton. Hope... But at the same time, Chris knew that Marvin will turn eventually. It's more than likely that his wound was caused by a zombie attack.

They went to the left side of the main hall and there was a metal roller door that was closed. However, instead of it being completely solid and opaque, it was made of horizontal metal bars so you can see through the other side. Claire immediately took the combat knife given by Marvin in order to cut the tape covering the power box. Opening it, she pulled the lever down.

* * *

 

The barred door opened all the way giving them access to the area. There were two reception desks behind a glass window. Next to them were two couches similar to the one Marvin is seated on in the main hall, with two tables behind a wooden wall and in the corner of the room was a door. Chris got the flashlight out while Claire took out her own gun. Chris then turned on the flashlight. 

"Uh, Claire?"

"Yeah?" She kept her eyes forward.

"As much as I want to help Marvin, it may be too late to save him."

"What are you talking about?" Claire sounded a little upset, looking at him. "We know what to do. We find the two medallions and then we take him with us to the passage."

Chris just sighed and took a deep breath. "Claire, he's been wounded for a while... I know how you feel. You want to help him and save his life. I'm just like you and want to help him. As a matter of fact, helping people is something I do all the time. I'd be devastated if people in front of me die and there's nothing I can do about it. Trust me, I know that feeling all too well."

He remembered when there were so many casualties after the Metropolis Battle in 2013 but there was nothing he can do back then since he was only a teenager. An adolescent Kryptonian was significantly weaker and less powerful then an adult one. He didn't even learn to fly back then. Chris also remembered Superman and Doomsday killing each other during The Showdown in Gotham City back in November, 2015. He knew he wouldn't have helped Superman much, and certainly wouldn't have stood a chance against Doomsday. Even with his powers still developing during those times, he still felt completely useless.

"But there has to be something we can do for him-" Claire continued.

"You must have to figure it out by now. Anyone that gets bitten by a zombie gets infected, and they become one in a matter of time. I saw that Marvin's wound is from a bite and he will end up like one of them too." Chris knew that if he had his heat vision, he could have cauterized the wound, possibly eliminating the infection and prevent Marvin's turn.

"Shit…" She blinked. "How long does he have?"

"I honestly have no idea. The people that got bitten at the gas station turned after a couple of minutes. Marvin's time is running out... and I’m sorry that I have to be the one to tell you."

"No, you don't have to apologize. I kinda already knew, but I didn't want to admit it... I was just trying to be positive."

"The only thing we can do now is find those medallions and Leon. Your brother isn't here, so he must be safe... Now you need to get to safety, away from here."

"Me? You're coming too. The three of us will leave this city together." She looked at him.

"I know." Chris gave a soft smile and Claire felt so much better now.

_*This is 73 bird-for rescue-heading east-river. Touchdown at RPD-minutes.*_

The two stopped in a corner of the hallway as they saw the body of another police officer. His communication device was on the left side of his shoulder. They walked slowly, not knowing if he will get up as a zombie. Chris carefully touched the head and moved it up. His eyes widened in shock; there was so much blood as half of the officer's face has been ripped off. 

"Oh, god! Poor guy…" Claire's voice quivered.

"The sooner we find those medallions, the better." Chris wanted to leave this place quickly.

"Did you hear that?"

"Claire?... Look." Chris became shocked and pointed above.

Before them was the body of another officer which was hanging from the ceiling. Like he hanged himself. He probably committed suicide because he didn't want to turn into a zombie. The body suddenly fell but it wasn't moving. Chris kept on walking with Claire following behind him. They continued heading straight into a hallway that had a wet floor along with broken wooden planks and an open window. Chris thought they should find a way to seal it before a zombie could come through it. Heading to another corner, there was a zombie banging on a window. If this keeps up, it will break through it. Looks like he spoke to soon as the zombie broke the window and fell to the floor. Chris acted immediately and stomped on its head; easily crushing and killing it. _That was gross_. The duo saw a dead end and then, a pair of doors.

Chris slowly opened the door as the two entered the room. There were some desks and tables scattered around along with some soda machines. There was a podium with a whiteboard. This must have been the meeting room but it was a real mess. Something caught Claire's eye as she took it. Showing it to Chris, it was a complete map of the first floor of the police station. He nodded in approval as she put the map in one of her pouches. There was another door with a chain wrapped around the knob. Chris saw something on a desk, it was a piece of paper titled ‘RPD Record of Events.’ He showed it to Claire as the two started reading it.

**_September 24th, 2018_ **

_We've turned the station into a temporary shelter due to the sudden massive outbreak. All police personnel have been instructed_  
_to make the safety of the citizens their top priority as we try to accommodate as many of them as possible._

_**September 25th** (addendum) _

_One of the refugees attacked us in the middle of the night, resulting in the death of one officer and injuring three others. The_  
_person in question was quickly restrained. We believe this was simply a case of someone snapping under intense stress._

_**September 26th, 2018**  
_

_A mob attacked the station today, resulting in a number of casualties. A few survivors were able to make it safely behind the_  
emergency shutters, but surrounded as we are, it’ll be hard for any of us to escape this place. There is no internet, Wi-Fi or communications.  
_We’re not sure we can fix any of our equipment, so we remain cut off from the outside world._

**_September 27th, 2018_ **

  _There was another clash on the west side of the station around 1 pm. Twelve people died, and there is only a handful of survivors_ _left._  
_Everything is falling into disarray here._  
_-David Ford_

Chris and Claire looked at each other as they didn't believe what they were reading one bit. Obviously that refugee was infected.

"This is how the police station eventually fell to the outbreak. Despite their best efforts, it just wasn't enough." Chris pointed out.

"We can’t worry about it now. C'mon, let's keep going."

"Hold on, what's the date today? Isn't it the 28th?"

"It's the 29th." Claire corrected.

"Unbelievable, this place was apparently packed with survivors five days ago and now there's no one. It happened so quickly. I really hope some people managed to make it out of this city alive."

In the corner, there was a neatly stacked pile of wooden pallets with a large broken rectangular window directly above. They immediately knew what to do. Chris offered for Claire to go first so she went first to climb onto the pallets and jumped through the hole, followed by Chris. They made it to the other side of the hallway when they saw a fat zombie banging on a coffee machine. This was probably the silliest thing either of them have seen a zombie do.

"Must be his coffee break." Chris joked before turning serious. "Can I borrow that knife?"

Claire nodded and handed it over.

"Stay put. I got this." He told her.

He got close to the zombie just as it turned to him. Chris immediately stabbed it in the head, killing it.  _Sorry._ Even though he had Marvin's gun with him, he didn't want to make too much noise. Not only that, he didn't actually know how to properly use a gun... Not that he ever needed to and in addition, he really didn't like the idea of using guns. He handed the knife back to Claire.

Passing another corner, there were two doors. One said ‘WEST OFFICE’ and the other ‘STORAGE DEPOSIT ROOM.’ Claire chose the latter as they carefully entered the room. There were dozens of lockers and a control panel on the front. Chris was looking around and saw that one of the lockers had some ammo and another had a pouch with the RPD initials. Everything in these lockers would become useful to Claire so he went back to her who was looking at the control panel. She then walked over to a nearby desk with a piece of paper.

**_Storage Locker Terminal Memo_ **

_It appears that the keypads to the lockers terminal are missing a few keys, I suggest that the person responsible for this mess find_  
_some spare keys and fix this RIGHT NOW._  
_(You know who you are, bastard. Who else’d fuck it up this badly?!)_

"Looks like he never got a chance to fix it." Chris looked at the panel with the missing keys being '2' and '3.'

"I don't think that he's around here anymore."

Chris gave a nod, he was probably dead or a zombie, or maybe he escaped safely. Looking ahead, there was another room but smaller. There was a bigger locker with a weapon inside. It looked like an older model grenade launcher. Next to it was a locker with some ammo which was possibly for the weapon and next to it was an electronic device that was a card reader. Suddenly, Chris was caught off guard hearing banging coming from the door. A zombie broke in as Claire acted by shooting it in the head, followed by the leg. Another shot on the leg and it was down. One more shot to the head and it was dead for good.

"I'm sorry Claire, I didn't realize-"

"It's okay. You can't always be the one to get all the credit." She smiled as she reloaded her SLS-60 with more ammo.

"So lockers 102 and 103 are out of the question?"

"Until we find those missing keys, yeah. Let's make our time here worthwhile."

Claire pressed the numbers on the control panel's keypad to open locker ‘106’ and ‘109’ for now. There was a roll of film and more .9mm ammo but neither of them had any idea what the film was for. _Honestly, who uses film these days?_

"Wait, let me try something." Chris tried to open locker ‘102’ by punching it, but he only managed to dent the reinforced metal and crack the ballistic glass while Claire cringed and raised an eyebrow at his failed break in attempt. Even though he was many times stronger than a human, his strength simply wasn't quite enough to break through heavy duty reinforced materials.

Claire was looking at him as if he were crazy and amazing at the same time. Mainly because he had attempted to break into reinforced metal locker but also managed to even so much as damage it just by punching it with his bare hand.

"Never mind. Strong stuff alright. Looks like they were built to withstand tens of tons of force." Chris commented.

Leaving the storage deposit room, the duo continued their journey through the west hallway of the station. There was a staircase leading to the second floor while there was a zombie on a window. Chris saw some items below the stairs. One of them, being some hard wooden boards. He got an idea and was able to barricade the window with them. Now this should hold the zombie off for a while. There was an opened door near the items. It was some sort of office and there was a sign that read ‘DARKROOM.’ Claire told him that they'll be able to see the roll film if they take it there. Claire remembered as she took an elective of photography in high school. Chris nodded in agreement since he remembered that from his art classes from high school as well. It didn't take long since it was only one picture. 

It was a photo titled ‘A commemorative photo.’ There was a statue of an old man wearing a crown; obviously a king. He was holding a book colored dark red in his right hand and on his left hand was a scepter with a red jewel. Neither had a clue what it was about, or what it could mean. They decided to keep the photo just in case because it might come in handy later. After investigating the room, the duo went upstairs to the second floor. There were two bodies near a metal shutter. Claire stabbed both in the head with the combat knife to make sure they didn't reanimate. They continued to follow the staircase going to the third floor. _So the police station had more than two floors._

They continued walk up the stairs and reached the fourth floor. There were two lockers and next to it was a huge hole like a car rammed through the concrete wall. Entering through the hole, something caught their eyes that stood on a desk. A key at the end had the shape of a blue spade. So with this, they'll be able to unlock any doors that has the spade lock. _Or I could just break those wooden doors down_. Chris thought. They left the room through a door into a long hallway with a window. As the duo continued walking, something passed the window with great speed. It moved too fast for them to tell what it was.

"What was that?!" Claire asked, visibly alarmed.

"I dunno, but whatever it was, it didn't look like a zombie to me."

* * *

 

(Art coming soon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Phantasm Continues


	7. The Phantasm Continues

**_\- West Hallway, Second floor. Raccoon City Police Station.-_ **

Chris stood rooted to the ground. Just like that time at the gas station when he first saw a real live (or undead) zombie. He couldn't stop thinking about the thing that had just crossed the window. It moved inhumanly fast and it seemed to be on all fours. It couldn't be a dog or zombie; what could it be? Turning to Claire, she seemed to be thinking the same thing but she calmed down and decided to move on. Chris nodded as he resumed to lead the way, holding the flashlight with his right hand and briefly held his left hand on Marvin's handgun clipped to his belt on his skinsuit; just in case. Straight ahead there was a door and a dead end. Chris realized the police station was so darn big. It could possibly take them hours to find two medallions they need in order to open the secret passage under the Goddess statue. _Who knows how many zombies were here?_ Not to mention they still needed to find Leon. At least they knew Claire's brother was all right. He was out of town, or more accurately, out of the country so he wasn't in any danger.

The two were about to head to the door since there was nothing blocking their path. Chris was about to follow Claire until something caught his attention. A note has been left on top of a wooden crate. Chris learned that anything on paper had useful information than can help them in the future. He picked it up and showed it to Claire.

_Consider this a gift for anyone still unfortunate enough to be alive._

_Keep your eyes peeled for those creepy fucks that look like they were skinned alive- “lickers” we call ‘em. They’re blind as bats,_  
_but their hearing more than makes up for that. So as long as you don’t run like a total idiot, guns a-blazing, you should be able to_  
_slip by them…Probably. Either way, make like my grandma and creep around as slow as possible around ‘em, yeah? Anyway, not_  
_that I wanna go, but duty calls. That, and I’ve got a friend to avenge._

_\- David._

 

"Lickers?" Chris asked while raising an eyebrow.

Honestly, that was a weird name. Apparently the zombies and undead dogs weren't the only things in the city. Just reading the description again, this creature must be ugly as hell. They were blind, but have super-hearing similar to Kryptonians. Although, Chris doubted that the lickers' hearing would be nearly as powerful as a Kryptonian's since with his powers, he could hear sounds almost 'round the world and could either choose to hear all sounds at once or focus on one. Regardless, the faintest sound will catch their attention. That was something he didn’t want to see or fight in close quarters without his powers. His eyes widened in realization. _What if the thing we just saw passing outside the window was a licker?_ That means it could be nearby. Chris gave the piece of paper to Claire since his skinsuit didn't actually have any pockets. They resumed their journey as Claire was a little creeped out after hearing about the new creature.

Remaining on the same floor, they went into the men's showers. The sound of heavy steam caught their ears as they saw a pipe leaking in the entrance to the showers. Something was missing in the middle, like a valve handle. It was the only way to turn it off and remove the hot steam. Chris noticed Claire trying to open the lockers. She opened one of the lockers only to let out a short scream of fright, seeing an inanimate zombie fall out and slump to the floor. She stabbed its head with the knife, making sure that it won't get up. That was an improvement for a hiding spot. Readying her gun, she opened another locker. It was mostly empty, not a zombie but with something better. It was larger red ammo, they were flame rounds. They both realized that ammunition was for the grenade launcher. They needed to find the weapons locker key card in order to get it but Claire still took the flame rounds anyway. They've checked all the lockers, finding another set of flame rounds but that was all. Then, there was a note stuck to a wall nearby.

**_Portable Safe Instructions_ **

_Press a button to a light up its corresponding lamp. Light them all to open the safe._  
_The buttons must be in pressed in a certain order. Pressing a single button out of the order will cause all the lights to go out and_  
_you will need to start the sequence again._

Claire saw a portable safe in the corner and examined it. It was smaller than she thought; it had the RPD initials and a circle with eight lights. Now wasn't the right time to be messing around with the portable safe. The medallions are their current priority. _Who would think that escaping this place could be so complicated and tedious?_ But then again, no one said this was going to be an easy task. Leaving the showers, they went up the stairs going to the third floor of the station. 

* * *

 

The duo went through the door on the floor and the place was filled with broken concrete. Boxes, crates, wooden planks, boards, various items that could be used for storage. A zombie suddenly popped up from the ceiling, which was hanging around. Apparently, it was dead so the two passed by it. There were more bloodstained walls, sending a chill to Chris' spine. There was a cell but the path to reach it was blocked by a reinforced wooden and metal barricade. It had something attached in yellow tape. It said 'C4.' Both knew it was an explosive but the detonator was missing so it won't go off without it. Chris attempted to bypass the barricade by striking the wooden panels with his fist, breaking parts of it but then the duo both heard a noise. _Was that a licker?_ Chris stopped immediately; attempting to physically break through the barricade will make too much noise. Not that far from them was a table with another note with more information. Claire showed it to him and they both started reading it.

**_Some Guy's Scribblings_ **

_Damn those corporate assholes! They cut me off! After all I’ve done for them! But if that’s how it’s going to be, so be it. I’m_  
_gonna have a little fun of my own as the world goes to shit. I boarded all those filthy pigs up in a steel pen, and set some C4. All I_  
_gotta do is detonate it and it’s “sayonara suckers!” But it’s not fun if it it’s over too soon, so maybe I’ll give that raving loon_  
_something to really squeak about._

 _Yeah, maybe I’ll give him a little toy and tell him, “kill the guy next to you and I’ll spare the others.” I wonder what he’ll do. You_  
_yell about “justice” and “pride” but how many times did you go against me, your own superior?_

_Yeah, you’re such a good cop…So good you had to die._

_Man this is fun. I needed some music for this._

"Well then..." Chris remarked after reading the paper. "I guess zombies weren't the only crazy things here."

"This guy must have had a real grudge. He must've been serious, but the C4 is still placed."

"He didn't detonate it which is a good thing. We don't want to blowing things up right now."

"Chris, look!”

He turned around instantly and saw that Claire was staring at what was inside of the steel pen. There was a statue of a maiden colored black with a shield next to her. Just behind it, had a familiar looking panel.

"This has to be another statue... Like the one with the lion from before." Chris pointed out.

"Sure looks like it. You know what that means?"

"We found the next medallion, but we still can't operate the statue with that barricade blocking the way. If we bust through it now, it'll make too much noise." Chris remembered the lickers. He wasn't keen to encounter one.

"Which means, we have to find that detonator and fulfill that crazy bastard's wish."

"Okay, so we do need to detonate the explosives after all." Chris sighed as he knew the sound of the explosion will be very loud.

"Can't forget this." Claire smiled as she picked up a hip pouch on the table. "More pouches mean I can carry more stuff."

They finally left the area, taking the door near the steel pen. Now, they were in a place that looked like a library. _Why would a police station have a library?_ They were on the second floor while below them were a couple of zombies wandering around as Chris took a quick glance at the place. Part of the wooden railing was destroyed, preventing access to the other side. However, they could still go another way since it was fine. Suddenly, Claire's radio communicator beeped, receiving an incoming transmission.

_*Claire, Chris, it's Marvin. How fast can the two of you get here?*_

"Why, what's up?" Claire replied.

_*I've got something to show you. It's important.*_

"Okay, we won't keep you waiting." Chris added.

"Alright. We're on our way."

Claire drew her gun shooting at the zombie that was eating a dead body. Chris took the combat knife from Claire and jumped from the top floor, stabbing the head of the zombie. Claire climbed down the ladder, joining him. Another zombie was heading their way. Claire was able to blow its head up with just one shot. Talk about perfect accuracy. Chris was impressed at her aiming. With their powers, Kryptonians were very dexterous and had perfect accuracy. Chris knew that when he had his powers, he's never missed in his life. Even without them, his accuracy was still pretty good but nowhere near as being impeccable as he once was. Another zombie lunged at Chris but he pushed it away followed by a quick slash and a stab to the head, killing the creature. They stood without lowering their guard, waiting for more trouble.

"Alright, the coast is clear." Chris nodded to Claire.

Even though the place was secure they still took a look around, before heading back to meet with Marvin. On their way, Chris saw something on top of a long table. A dark red book which it was familiar to him. He then remembers that it's the same book in the commemorative photo. This was a key item as they will be needing this in the long run.

"Claire, do you still have that picture?"

"Yeah." Claire gave the photo to Chris and he was able to confirm that the book was same one in the picture.

He then asked Claire to put the book in one of her pouches. They went to a door on the left where they found a statue of a bronze unicorn with a shield next to it. They knew what this meant. They found another medallion. Unlike the maiden statue, this one has full access and wasn't surrounded by bars. Claire took out Elliot's note book seeing the drawings on the unicorn statue. The first image is two fishes on opposite sides, the second was a scorpion and the third was a ram. Chris also knew that Scorpio can also be a scorpion or serpent instead of an eagle.

"Pisces, Scorpio and Aries." Chris told Claire as she nodded and turned the pieces.

The lid in the middle of the shield opened, revealing the unicorn medallion. That was two down, one more to go. Claire placed it in her pouch and before they left the room, they found the map to the upper floor of the station.

They remembered that Marvin needs them to come quickly, so they went back to the library heading to the door before them. As they got closer, the door had the lock in the shape of a blue spade. Chris knew that they had that key so he didn't need to bust it down himself. Claire used the spade key, unlocking it. Opening the door, the duo realized they were in the second floor of the main hall which was good news since they were going to meet up with Marvin sooner than they thought. 

They went down the stairs seeing that the wounded cop was still okay and typing some keys on a laptop. Both Chris and Claire were happy to see that he was still hanging in there. Chris noticed that even though Marvin had been wounded by a zombie, he was doing pretty good lasting this long whereas the gas station worker turned in less than five minutes. However, there was nothing they could do to prevent his eventual fate. He will become a zombie sooner or later and they will be left with no choice but to put him down. Marvin turned and saw them heading towards him.

"There you two are. Come here."

"What is it?" Claire asked.

"Take a look." Marvin showed another live feed, showing a steel gate and a familiar face standing before it.

"Hey, he's alright! I knew it." Chris gave a grin.

"He made it too." Claire said also smiling.

"You know him?"

"Yeah, it's Leon...Leon Kennedy, I think?"

"Ah, the rookie. Thought he looked familiar. You can make it to that courtyard through the second floor, on the east side." Marvin informed them.

"Okay, thanks Marvin."

"Wait... Marvin? Do you know about the lickers?" Chris took the opportunity to ask the lieutenant, hoping that he knew something.

"I do, why?" Marvin's expression became worried as he got up hurting himself due to his wound. "You didn't happen to run into one on your way here, did you?"

"Er... No, we didn't. Just curious." Chris replied, deciding not to bring up the one they saw passing outside a window earlier.

"Good... I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you about them. Lickers, they're completely different from a zombie physically. They're stronger, faster and way more dangerous."

"We read that they can't see but have a sharp sense of hearing." Claire said.

"That's right. They're blind but their hearing is far better than any man or dog. Any kind of sound will get their attention in a heartbeat.”

The two looked at each other. They were lucky they didn't encounter one directly.

"Listen carefully you two, if you ever encounter a licker, don't shoot at it. Don't try to attack it and most importantly, don't run from it. You're better off not seeing one. I pray neither of you don't."

"Thanks for the advice." Chris was even more worried, now asking himself mental questions. _Lickers are strong but by how_ _much exactly? Even without my powers and only my limited strength, could I physically fight one? Are they_ _weaker than me? Stronger? They also have super-hearing and are inhumanly fast. So the lickers are that big of a threat._

* * *

Claire took the medallion from her pouch and walked up to the Goddess statue, putting it in one of the empty slots. The two stone bars surrounding the statue separated. The final medallion should be able to open up the secret passage. In order to get it, they needed to find the detonator to activate the C4 and get to the maiden statue. Right now, they were heading to the courtyard where Leon is. Following Marvin's instructions, they went to east side of the second floor, entering another office which appeared to be a waiting room. Claire noticed and briefly looked at a pamphlet on the counter and showed it to Chris.

"This police station was a museum?"

"Apparently."

There was another door with the spade lock which Claire used the key to open it. It led to another dark hallway; no surprise there. Chris took the flashlight out again to illuminate the path. There were two paths, so they decided to take the right side first. Chris entered a door in the same hallway and his eyes lit up as he spotted a card on a small round table. It read ‘WEAPONS LOCKER KEY CARD.’ This was it. This is exactly what they needed to unlock the grenade launcher back at the storage deposit room. 

"Found it. The locker key card." He handed it to Claire as she smiled back in approval, putting it in her pouch.

There were some antiques, statues, paintings and pieces of various art in the room. Probably old stuff that the police no longer needed when they were remodeling the station. Before them stood the same statue of the king they have seen on the photo from that roll film. It was holding the scepter with the red jewel on its left hand, but it was missing its right hand. The missing piece was next to the statue on the small table.

"Claire, the book."

As soon as she handed Chris the red book that they had found in the library, he placed it on the right hand before putting it in the hole of the statue's left arm. It gave a small turn as the hand holding the scepter rotated and the hand opened. Claire took the scepter and examined it. There was a switch and she pressed it releasing the red jewel.

"Wonder what that's for..." Claire placed the jewel in one of her hip pouches.

They left the room and kept moving on the right side of the hallway. A loud noise was heard which sounded like a big crash close to where they were. Their eyes widened seeing that a helicopter had actually crashed on this side of the building. The pilot was obviously dead which wasn't a pretty sight. Claire thought this must be the same helicopter that was communicating earlier when they found that cop's dead body missing half of his face.

However, there was nothing important here so they went back to the door that had a green lit 'EXIT' sign. Opening it, they were now outside. They had a better view of the helicopter that crashed on the building where sparks were flying. It won't be long before it catches fire and explodes so they will have to make sure to keep their distance from it. Also, it was still raining with their bodies now getting soaked wet again.

"HEY!” A familiar voice shouted from nearby. "CLAIRE! CHRIS!"

"Is that..." Chris was surprised but gave a small smile.

The two of them approached the metal railing and saw Leon who is now dressed in a Raccoon Police Department uniform on the other side of the barbwire fence.

"Leon!"

"We're coming down!" Chris hollered.

The two jogged down the stairs while the pilot and part of the helicopter began to catch fire. Leon was trying to open the gate but with no luck so far. It was obviously locked and chained.

"Leon, I'm glad that you're okay." Chris said, still grinning.

"Me too. Glad both of you made it to the station." Leon's grin became wider while Claire approached. "Claire... it's so nice to see you."

Claire and Leon were now basically face to face, only separated by the fence. Chris decided to wander around the courtyard, keeping a lookout.

"This is awkward, but we really have to stop meeting like this." Claire said, smiling.

"Yeah.... Police chopper... It just, came out of nowhere…"

"Yeah, we're fine. Still, it's good to see your face over all of this mess. How are you holding up?"

"I am... Hanging in there."

"Helluvah night, huh? I'm guessing you don't have a key in one of those fancy pockets?"

"Unfortunately, no... But how are you doing?"

"You know, just surviving." Claire grinned as she rested her right arm on the fence.

Chris still stood around, away from the fence, keeping a look out. He couldn't help but smile to himself as Claire and Leon seemingly engaged in some flirty conversation. Honestly, those two seemed well suited for a couple, despite the fact that they all barely knew each other.

"That's good. Any luck with your brother? Did you find him?" Leon continued.

"I did actually, he's-"

Claire was suddenly interrupted by the explosion from the police chopper. They knew it was eventually going to blow up and the sound of the fire alarm sounded shortly after.

"Just when you think it can't get any worse… Leon, you should get going."

"She's right. You're not safe here out in the open. Like now for instance." Chris pointed as he was able to see that some zombies are arriving on Leon's side.

"Don't worry about me. You two, just get to safety."

"Oh no... It's dinner time..." Chris gaped at seeing a horde of zombies trying to break through the fence.

"No, Leon seriously, they're getting through the fence! Please, just go!" Claire urged.

Leon was about to leave before turning to face the two. "We're gonna make it. All of us." He promised before finally running off.

"We should continue to search for that detonator because we need it for the last medallion. Staying here isn't safe for us either." Chris reminded.

Claire nodded in agreement while reaching for her two-way radio. "Hey, Marvin? This is bad. We got zombies everywhere!"

There was no answer.

"Marvin…? Marvin, are you there!? Marvin!? Oh, God, you gotta be kidding me…!"

“This is not good.” Chris said, knowing it was probably too late for the officer. He wished that it was sunrise now so he can recharge his powers, but the reality is that it's still dead in the night, cloudy, raining and dark. This really felt like an eternity.

* * *

 

(Art coming soon.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Could this get any worse?


	8. Could this get any worse?

After making it this far, there was no choice but to keep moving forward. The metal gate will hold the zombies off for now. It was a good thing that Chris didn't break that gate down in an attempt to let Leon in otherwise the horde of zombies will reach them. There was a door behind them and a toolbox over a plastic trash bin. Looking at it, they found a pair bolt cutters which had a red handle. This is just what they needed in order to cut the chains that are on the lock of the doors. There was also some handgun ammo nearby which Claire picked up. 

Fortunately, the door next to the toolbox had a chain around it, which they are now able to enter through since they have the bolt cutters. Claire did the honors by cutting the chain and opening the door. Chris took the lead by opening the door slowly and he was met by a zombie running at him. He simply shoved it away with one hand while Claire fired a couple of shots on its head, killing it. The duo noticed that this area was familiar since they’ve been here before. As they entered into a room, they saw Elliot’s upper body. It was a painful reminder since they were back in the east hallway again. 

* * *

 

Chris remembered that there was another door with a thick chain right around here. After killing a few more attacking zombies, they reached the chained door. Claire handed over the bolt cutters to him and he cut the chains with ease. Entering the room, it looked like an large office area with many desks, folders, laptops, monitors and basically everything. Unsurprisingly, there were also more zombies around the place. Chris took the lead again, kicking them away while Claire assisted by shooting at them.

"Chris, watch out!" Claire warned.

One zombie lunged at Chris but he managed to put it in an arm lock and threw it across the room with Claire finishing it off with another shot to the head.

She found some more ammo on the dead body of a police officer, along with a flash grenade on a desk. After taking out the zombies in the room, they searched through the place. After a minute they found an electrical part which has to be the missing fuse that the box needs near the entrance to the east hallway. Entering a separate office, they found valve handle on the desk. Claire believed that the office must belong to a lieutenant or high ranking officer.  _What would a valve be doing here?_ Chris thought. They might not have found the C4 detonator but they were sure making considerable progress. Claire was thankful to have someone very strong and reliable like Chris around. If he wasn't around, it would surely be very difficult to do this by herself.

"I say we're making some progress." Chris commented.

"Chris..." Claire stared at him, eyeing him up and down.

"What's wrong?" He saw her expression, showing that something was wrong.

"I know I shouldn't be getting involved, but, what- I mean, who are you really?"

Chris' took a soft breath and his eyes blinked. He really didn't know what to say now. He couldn't just say that he was a real superhero with godlike powers, she would think he's crazy. It's already been made clear that she, Leon nor Marvin recognize him as Superman II. Maybe, this world was different. He is a ghost.

"Where are you from?" Claire asked again.

"Why are you asking me this now? This isn't exactly the place or the time to talk about ourselves." Chris responded, in an attempt to avoid her questions.

"And there will never be a time or place to talk about it... Look, I'm glad I met you. We make a kick ass team and I feel like I can trust you. But I'm just… confused... You’ve shown to be insanely strong. No person could ever hope to do what you did... even by doing all the workout in the world."

"I…" Chris paused. He really didn't want to bring this up.

"You said you've never heard of this city and didn't know what state we're in... How can you possibly get lost? I know you said you're from California but you never mentioned how you ended up here.”

"I really don't know." He feebly but truthfully admitted.

"What?" Claire stood speechless "You're joking…?"

Chris scratched his head since he seriously didn't know. _I can't tell her that I'm actually an alien from a planet called Krypton!_

"Where were you last time before you got here?" Claire continued.

 _I was at Washington D.C. fighting A.M.A.Z.O. alongside the Justice League. I took that android into space while unleashing the full power of my heat vision. I became supernova, blacked out and had some weird flashback to my first day of high school. Now I’m here. This pretty much feels like an alternate universe. I don't know._ Chris couldn't tell her any of that though. Well, not yet at least. _I could ask about some familiar cities._

"Okay, do you know where Metropolis or Gotham City are? ... Or how about the smaller towns like Smallville or Steadworth?"

Claire again stood speechless and raised an eyebrow. She had never heard of such places. This was getting weirder.

“What?” _  
_

"You know... Metropolis is a large city in Delaware, Gotham is the sister city in New Jersey, Smallville is in Kansas and Steadworth is in the southern side of California... I grew up in Steadworth." Chris explained. 

"No such places. I know my geography pretty well." 

Chris tried to fire another question back. "What year is it?"

"Are you kidding me? How could you forget that it's 2018?!"

 _Oh dear, what am I going to tell her?_ Chris’ heart was beating faster and stood frozen like statue, looking pale.

Somehow he really was in some alternate reality and two years back in time. It crossed his mind but didn't want to admit it. An alternate Earth where there were no superheroes, Metropolis, Gotham, Smallville or Steadworth. This place wasn't his home at all. All he had done was defeat A.M.A.Z.O. by using his full power, blacked out and woke up in this Earth. Even worse, a place called Raccoon City being overrun by countless zombies.

 _A city under a zombie outbreak yeah right, a dream... A bad dream... I want to wake up please, let me open my eyes. But no,_ _this is very real! The sunrise will come in a few hours, I will fly out of the atmosphere and recharge my powers. I never_ _wanted this, my friends, my family, my home. What would Clark do in_ _this situation? How am I ever going to get back?_ _Even when I do get my powers back, dimension hopping and time travel isn't one of them!_

Chris was suddenly slapped hard on his face as his eyes snapped wide open. He actually kinda felt that but it didn't really hurt him. "Claire? ... What did you do that for!?"

"I thought you were having some panic or anxiety attack! If I hadn't slapped the shit out of you, who knows what could have happened. I don't know, I'm no doctor."

"Well... I say you brought me back to reality."

"You had me worried." Claire sounded upset. "Don't do that ever again. I'm sorry for asking."

"No, no, it's not your fault. I needed that. Don't blame yourself. I'm feeling better now, thank you."

* * *

The double doors of the office area had a chair with a box and a lot of paperwork placed underneath the handle and door knobs. This prevented it from being opened from the other side. Chris considered moving the chair and busting the door down until suddenly, it burst open as a zombie charged pinning Claire to the ground. Chris reacted as he grabbed it and threw it across the room. He then finished it off by leaping towards it and stabbing it the head with Claire's knife. If he hadn't have acted quickly, she could have been bitten and it would be all over for her. Chris helped her on her feet as she stood in thought. Their eyes met, green meeting blue, however, it was clear that Chris was worried.

"You okay?"

"Yeah- Yeah I am. I'm sorry, it was never my intention to upset you with my questions."

"I told you it's not your fault and you didn't upset me. We've been through a lot as it is and we still have ways to go if we want to leave this place."

"Right... But I meant what I said. I'm glad to have you here."

"There's no 'I' in team, right?" Chris' face held a slight grin.

Claire nodded, happy to see him back to normal but on the inside, she was still troubled. Chris wasn't from around here and by that, anyone can tell by just looking at him. He's still wearing that flashy Superman outfit and cape but him, talking about cities that are unheard of and don't even exist? Him not knowing what year it is? Something was really up with him.  _It couldn't be amnesia, could it? He knows his name and where he's from._ He could be delusional but he seems so normal as a person. However, there was no time to be pondering about that right now.

The duo finally left the room, on their way to the fuse box. Claire put the electric part inside the socket and the red light turned green. The sound of a metal shutter was heard close by but they didn't pay any attention to it. They had some priorities to take care of which was getting the third and last medallion. 

They still had the bolt cutters while Claire remembered that there was at least one more door with a chain on the knob, in a room at the west hallway. Not only that, the weapons locker key card will allow them open the case where the grenade launcher is being stored. 

* * *

Since they were back at the main hall they decided to check on Marvin and see how he's holding up. The officer didn't respond when Claire called him on her two-way radio, so naturally, both of them thought something bad has happened to him. When they arrived, Marvin was lying on the couch, breathing; looks like he was just resting. Maybe he hasn't slept since the outbreak started. Out of respect, neither of them didn't want to wake him so they left him in peace as they went back to the west hallway on the first floor. 

There were more zombies in the hallway which wasn't a big problem for them and they eventually entered the room where the chained door is located. Chris cut the chain and upon entering that room, there was a desk with something on it. Claire picked up the electronic gadget. 

“It looks like a detonator.” Chris noted, looking at Claire. They both knew what this meant and nodded at each other.

It was indeed the detonator they needed to activate the C4 in the room where the steel pen is with maiden puzzle statue inside, on the third floor. In the same room, there were two doors. One had the lock in shape of a red heart so they couldn't open it. Even though Chris was more than strong enough to break wooden doors down, he decided that he didn't want to do that since the noise could attract more zombies, or worse, lickers. Here, if a door was to be opened, it had to be done the right way. 

They didn't have the heart key yet and the other door had a simple slide lock on it so Claire turned it, unlocking the door. It led the two to the corridor next to the west office and storage deposit room. Since they were here already there, they went to get the grenade launcher. Using the weapons locker key card, a confirmation beep sounded as the lock was released and the door slid open. She grinned picking up the GM-79 grenade launcher along with some flame rounds.

"Hell yeah!" Claire said to herself.

Yes, she was going to need this bad boy for future encounters, especially if they have the bad luck to run into a licker.

"Hold on a second. You still have that portable safe?" Chris remembered.

"Yeah, I do." Claire took it out of her pouch and handed it to him.

Chris remembered the instructions of the portable safe. After about ten seconds, he got it right on the first go and smiled at Claire.

"Booyah." 

The portable safe had a blank spare key that can be placed on the missing numbers of the control panel. He placed the spare key on the locker's control panel which made the number '2' available. After opening the lockers, Claire grabbed the ammo in those lockers before heading out. 

* * *

 

Entering inside another office, they saw a safe which was already opened for some reason. Someone must have forgotten to lock it. It was their loss. Inside there was another hip pouch so Claire took it without thinking. She was going to need it with all the ammo and items she was currently carrying. As they left the office, there was a folder in one of the officer's desks.

_**Operation Report** _

_**September 28th, 2018. 2:30AM** _

_It's down to just me and three others. No weapons...No ammo...And too many skirmishes have drained us mentally and physically._  
_We're not gonna make it...Officer Philips once suggested we escape through the sewers. Apparently, there's a secret tunnel under_  
_this place left over from its museum days. I brushed her idea off before, but now, it's not sounding all that bad. Yeah, there's no_  
_proof there's even a tunnel or that the sewers aren't infected with zombies, but I don't wanna sit here and wait to die either._

_It's a long shot, but I'm gonna try to find out what I can about that tunnel._

_\- Elliot Edward_

"Eventually, he found out how to get to that secret tunnel." Chris remarked, remembering the police officer that got killed as he and Claire pulled his upper half body.

"The passageway is under the statue that needs the three medallions to open it. So it leads to the sewers." Claire didn't like the idea going to a place where it smells like literal crap.

As they walked around the desks, they spotted one that was closed from the others but there was a note on it. Chris picked it up, showing it to his companion while reading it. 

_**Rookie's First Assignment** _

_Leon S. Kennedy, we're putting you on a very special case for your first assignment._

_Your mission is...To unlock your desk! The key to your success is in the initials of our first names. Input the letters in order of our_  
_desks. There are two locks-one on each side of your desk. Make sure you get them both._

_Basically, your first task is to remember your fellow officer's names, but you figured that much out, right?_

_Good luck, Leon._

_By the way, it might take a little work to get Scott to give you a straight answer._

_Lieutenant Branagh_

_Be glad you're not here, rookie._

The corner of the note was smeared with drops of blood. 

"This is Leon's desk." Claire pointed out.

"If that's the case, I don't really think we should try to open the locks." Chris said adamantly.

"Why not? Aren't you a bit curious to see what could be inside?"

"It doesn't belong to us, so we shouldn't."

"Leon isn’t here and we are. I'm sure if it was anyone else besides him, they will make the attempt to open them."

"I still don't know..." Chris didn't like the idea.

"If there's anything that can help us, I will take it. The note said the locks can only be opened with the initials of the officer's names."

"Okay, well, there's Marvin, Elliot... Hmm... Who else?"

Claire gazed around the desk before giving a smile. "I got this."

She was able to open the first lock, then the second lock was released soon after. The desk finally opened and there was a speed loader for her SLS-60. A part needed for the model Claire's gun. She quickly inserted it in and with this, she hoped it will make reloading faster. 

"Well then... That was easy." Chris commented.

When they were finished, the duo went to the door that was locked and another door had the spade lock, so they used the spade key to open it. They were back at the main hall where Marvin was still resting. Chris felt bad for the lieutenant. Even with that wound, it will be hard to get a good night's rest. Maybe he was so tired that the wound wasn't bothering him.

* * *

 

Their next destination was the men's showers on the second floor, since they now have the valve handle. Entering the showers, the pipe was still leaking excessive amounts of hot steam. Chris put the valve in and started turning it, making the steam stop. 

When the steam was cleared, they saw the showers weren't in a horrible condition like some of the places they've seen. Before taking the door at the end, Chris stabbed the head of a dead body, just in case in wakes up as a zombie. Chris understood that they couldn't take any chances by letting any inanimate zombies alone since they may come back to life at any moment.

Opening another door, there was another dark hallway but neither were familiar with it so this area was undiscovered by them. That's when they heard an inhuman screeching noise. Their eyes widened in shock and terror at what they were seeing before them. There was some sort of creature clinging to the ceiling and it used its long tongue to decapitate the head of a dead body. Its appearance looked as if it were skinned alive, revealing the brain along with razor sharp claws. Both stood still without moving a muscle, this was bad news.

 _This has to be a licker._ Chris thought. Remembering the note and Marvin's advice, they did as instructed. They have to be very cautious, not making a sound.

Chris remained unsure if he could take it on physically if it was as strong and fast as Marvin said. Hopefully, he hoped it would be weaker than a depowered Kryptonian like himself. Either way, he wasn't risking it. The best course of action would be to take it out from a distance. He had no intention of using the handgun the lieutenant gave him since it made loud noises and the possibility of him missing since he didn't know how to properly handle a firearm. Besides, they already had a strong weapon with them as he saw Claire slowly taking out the grenade launcher. She already loaded some flame rounds when she got her hands on the weapon so Chris decided to stay still and let her fire at the creature. Hopefully, one shot will be enough to take it out. The licker was moving slightly and it hasn't heard anything yet. The creature was unaware of the presence of the two, so far.

Chris nodded to Claire to aim right at it and fire away when she was ready. As long as it hasn't detected them, they should be fine. Claire finally fired the flame round hitting the licker's head on as it fell to the ground. The creature was now covered in flames, screeching in pain. Unfortunately, though, it wasn't enough to kill it. It was now aware of the two, both were shocked as Chris urged his female companion to fire again. The licker jumped at tremendous speed, hitting and pinning him to the ground. He grabbed the licker's arms, wrestling with it and using his strength to keep the claws from touching his face. The good news is that Chris was still stronger.  _Okay, you're strong but not that strong._

He then kicked the creature with both of his feet sending it flying several meters back. Claire hit it with another flame round, causing it to screech in pain again. Chris wasn't going to give it a chance to recover so he finished it off stomping on its head, crushing it to mush. Another advantage to Kryptonian fibers is that they can't get stained, so his boot remained clean. The creature's body was left lifeless on the ground still burning, with its body completely burnt but still covered in flames.

"It's dead now." Chris told Claire.

"Marvin wasn't kidding. This thing was fast. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just lucky I guess."

"You really wrestled with that thing, huh? No one could have done that... according to Marvin. You were even stronger than it." Claire remarked, remembering Chris' consistent display of greater strength.

* * *

Moving on, they opened a door to another office. The desk in front of them had a banner that read 'S.T.A.R.S. Raccoon Police Dep.' Maybe it was a special unit. Claire immediately went to the desk and saw a 9V battery so she grabbed it straight away. 

"This is it." She turned to face Chris. "With this, we can activate the detonator."

Chris gave a nod as he stood in deep thought. What was he going to do? He knew he was in an alternate universe. _Superman and the Justice League probably think that I’m dead. I still don’t know how I ended up here. More importantly,_ _was there a way to return back to my Earth? Will I able to get back to my world?_ He didn't have the answers to those questions. The only thing he can do is help Claire now. This was his new mission.

* * *

 

(Art Coming soon)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A Leap of Faith


	9. A Leap of Faith

After taking the battery from the Captain's office, Chris and Claire went to investigate the rest of the area. Claire found more .9mm ammo, flame rounds for her grenade launcher and another flash grenade. Something else caught her eye; there was a computer with a hard drive and in front of the device is a more secure steel pen. Probably where they keep their heavier duty weapons. She tried logging in but failed, a window popping up and requesting something about a USB flash drive. Guess she won't be getting her hands on whatever they were keeping in there anytime soon.

The detonator was now working when she put the battery in. All they needed to do was to get to the third floor and set the C4 so they can get the last medallion to finally open the secret passage under the Goddess statue. Claire was too busy looking around that she didn't notice her companion standing around.

Chris hasn't moved since arriving at the office, despite the fact that he wasn't really shaken up about his close-up licker encounter. He was able to hold his own against it and even overpower it physically. No, he was in deep thought, still thinking about the realization that he was in an alternate earth. He knew about the multiverse theory since Team Flash had been able to hop across alternate realities. There was seemingly no other logical explanation. He just appeared near the MIZOIL gas station and he doubted that it was his new solar-flare ability alone by overcharging his heat vision. However, this newfound ability was the cause of draining his powers in the first place.  _Was there even a way to return? Wait a minute..._ His eyes widened in shock. _A.M.A.Z.O. had copied Flash's and even Cisco's abilities._   _Cisco has the power to hop through dimensions and even time within the multiverse. Flash can run fast enough to enter the Speed Force to time travel too._ Then it hit Chris. A.M.A.Z.O. brought him here just before it obliterated. All of this thinking was giving him a headache, so he decided to helped his new friend search the place.

He really needed to get his mind off his world and focus on the current task at hand. Claire was staring at him as she could tell that something was bothering him. It's true that they just met but they're working together to leave the station and survive this whole thing. She didn't mind seeing this superhero clad young man as a friend since he has already done enough for her. Not to mention protecting her from two explosions and multiple zombies when he barely knows her. No one would do such a thing unless it was a selfless person who is willing to put his life at risk for strangers. Because of these personality traits, he seemingly was a real hero.

She wanted him to talk to her. Maybe, she can help him in some way or another. Was it because she asked where he was from? It was really weird he didn't know what year it was or talking about non-existent cities in this country. Claire kept it in her mind to talk to him when they at least find the final medallion. Besides, she didn't like seeing him feeling down. It was better to see him with his positive attitude and cute smile. She blushed slightly giving Chris another glance and smiled but he was still unaware of her gaze.

She thought about herself for a moment. Most girls her age would only think of going to the malls, the movies, Facebook, Instagram, Netflix and thinking about boys. Not her though, she was different in every way. She wasn't your average nineteen-year-old. She was a bit tomboyish because her usual hobbies were tuning and customizing her motorcycle which she left at the gas station. Upon remembering this, she mentally cursed to herself. She reminisced that she also enjoyed playing basketball and other activities with her brother. If it weren't those two things, she would be riding her bike down the road while listening to some rock music. She snapped out of her thoughts and memories when she noticed Chris making awkward efforts to check on the desks. She could only roll her eyes at the sight. 

Chris sighed inwardly, nothing so far. X-ray vision or his other powers like microscopic vision would be a big help right now. There were plenty of things on the desks but nothing that will be useful. Maybe it was about time they leave and head for the maiden statue so they can finally get out of the police station. Chris meant what he said; he will help Claire and Leon escape this city then when the sun rises, he can get his powers back. But then what? What will he do after this? He hoped that the League and Team Flash were searching for him right now. Chris did his best not to think about his friends without making it obvious or simply freezing up on the spot. Especially in front of Claire. She had her own problems and he didn't want to add more to it. The biggest question of all is, how will he get back to his universe? Will his friends, Superman and teammates ever find him?

Chris snapped out of his thoughts as Claire approached him. "I forgot to give you this." She showed him some .9mm handgun ammo.

"What for?"

"I'm not the only one carrying a gun. You will need it."

Chris looked down at the gun clipped to the built-in belt of his skinsuit. He had almost forgotten he had it. "I'm not planning on using it anytime soon. The knife is good enough."

"Remember what Marvin said? You have to be prepared for anything. We don't know what else we'll face aside from zombies, lickers or dogs."

"Oh gee... I dunno..." Chris was still obviously hesitant of the idea.

"Is it because you don't know how to use a gun?" Claire smirked a little.

"Honestly... I don't really like guns... I mean, I never really used one before. That situation never occurred to me… Yeah, I don't know."

In Chris' mind, it was mostly crooks that used guns. He's been shot by them before but the bullets always bounced off of him. He never imagined using one himself, even in situations like this one. The only guns that he's used were the ones in video games, but it certainly isn't the real thing. Chris also knew that his father Ben owned an old model hunting rifle but no one was allowed to touch it.

"I can teach you if you want." Claire continued.

"Really?" That caught him off guard "I mean, are you sure?"

Chris remembered some of his history lessons of Krypton in Superman's Fortress of Solitude. On Krypton, his people fought differently under a red sun where they had no powers. Kryptonians were adept in unarmed and armed combat. There were notably proficient with Kryptonian firearms and plasma carbines. Chris never had that opportunity. He had only learned a portion of Kryptonian martial arts in the Fortress of Solitude. Torquasm Vo and Torquasm Rao respectively. Despite this, he still held a considerable level of skill in unarmed combat which made him a threat should anyone ever face him in combat.

"Well, not now but we can make some time later... Right now, I think we have spent too much time here."

"Right." He accepted the ammo and from Claire. "Oh wait, I don't have any pockets."

Conveniently there was a hip pouch that they both missed and Claire tossed it to him, shaking her head and grinning. "Your costume ain't much good is it? Since it has no pockets."

"Yeah, yeah... But don't diss my awesome outfit. It means a lot to me... It was a gift." Chris replied bluntly as he put on the hip pouch on top of his skinsuit's belt.

"Whatever." Claire just grinned. He was a funny guy.

* * *

After leaving the S.T.A.R.S. office, they took a corner with more blood stained walls. Claire took her grenade launcher out, just in case another licker shows up. At the end corridor, there were two doors; one had another simple slide lock while the other had a small sign in white and red letters that said ‘Linen Room.’ They couldn't enter since it had a lock with the shape of a diamond and again, Chris didn't want to attract more lickers by kicking it down. There was no choice but to go through the other door and Claire turned the lock. To their surprise, it led them back to the room where the unicorn statue is. They'd already taken medallion so there was no need to look at it again. The duo remembered that the other door led back to the library so they went that way.

On their right, climbed the stairs to the second floor and went through the door that will take them to the room where the C4 was. Claire put the detonator on the explosive, activating it and the timer read ten seconds. They hastily ran off, getting to a safe distance as the timer counted down. Just in case, Chris used his cape to shield them both from any stray debris that happened to come their way.

The explosion was very loud but it broke through all the wood that was keeping the steel pen from being accessible. A zombie entered the room from the second floor of the library. Chris stabbed it in the head with the knife and pushed it away, killing it. The sound must have attracted it. He thought what else could have been attracted, hoping that there wasn't another licker about. Once the rubble, dust and smoke was clear, the two went inside the steel pen, approaching the maiden statue. Claire took Elliot's notebook out to see the drawings needed for this puzzle. The first one was the face of a goddess, followed by a bow and arrow and finally a serpent. _Virgo, Sagittarius and Scorpio._

It was slightly more difficult to find the correct icons in the panel because the dials were rusted, but at least, they could still see them well enough. The lid opened on the waist of the statue, revealing the maiden medallion. _At last._ This was the last one they needed to open the secret passage of the Goddess statue in the main hall. When they left the steel pen, something jumped down from a hole in the ceiling. _Great, another licker. Just what we need right now!_

Claire fired two flame rounds at the creature killing it instantly. "Saved you from wrestling with it."

"Yeah... Not gonna lie, the last one was gross up close." Chris responded.

Claire didn't even hesitate or think about it, she just shot at the thing. They learned from their first encounter. It was better to take out a licker from a distance then up close and before it was aware. Claire was pissed the last time because Chris was at the thing's mercy if he didn't hold it back and kick it away. He was lucky to be somehow blessed with inhuman strength. This time, she just fired on pure instinct at the ugly creature. No mercy was to be shown against these things because they would never give it to you.

* * *

Heading back to the library, they climbed down the  staircase and eventually made it back to the main hall. They have finally done it. With the last medallion in hand, they should be able to leave the police station. Going down more stairs, they were now facing the statue of the Goddess. Chris waited for Claire, who was holding the medallion and she finally put it in the middle slot. The upper part of the statue went down, forming a small staircase and revealing a caged door.

Claire opened it and used the flashlight to get a better look. It really does lead underground after all, and hopefully, out of the station. Escaping this city wasn't going to be easy and they needed to regroup with Leon, but when it seemed like they finished one thing, this was still just the beginning. It truly was great to have someone like Chris helping her because it surely would have been a lot harder on her own. Not only that, if it weren't for Elliot's notebook, then they would most likely never escape this godforsaken place. 

Turning to Chris, he was standing near Marvin who was still asleep. The police lieutenant has made it clear that he wasn't coming with them due to his serious wound. Remembering what Chris told her, there was nothing that could save him from turning into a zombie, but the least they could do is wake him up and tell him their success. Claire placed a hand on the caped shoulder of Chris as he turned to face her. It really bothered them to leave Marvin here, waiting for him to turn and die eventually. Both Chris and Marvin are the same, trying to help others if and when they can. That's another thing she liked about Chris.

"Marvin? Are you awake, we did it." Claire told him.

The officer suddenly rose and for a moment, Chris took a step back, ready to fight while Claire took out her gun. Both of them thought he has become a zombie but fortunately, he looked normal. He was probably having a bad dream. They then lowered their guard and let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked.

"We found all the medallions. The exit is open now." Chris added.

"That's good. I knew you two would be able to do it." Marvin groaned. "Now go, save yourselves."

"Are you sure?" Chris was now more concerned.

"We all know how this is going to end. Survive and get out of the city."

"I'm glad that I met you Marvin." Chris extended his hand out for a handshake.

The cop chuckled shaking his hand "Same. You're not too bad after all... Even for a kid in a Halloween costume."

"Well, I've proven that I got what it takes to get through this. Don't forget, Claire helped too of course." Chris gestured towards her.

"Get going you two. I wouldn't want to stay here forever."

Claire nodded as she and Chris went down the staircase heading for the door to the passage.

"Thank you, Marvin." Claire waved.

"Good luck Claire... Chris..."

As the two entered, the door closed and the passage way has closed once more. The last thing they saw was Marvin laying down on the sofa again, like he wanted to continue resting. He was right; they know what was going to happen. It's likely that this will be the last time they will see him as a human.

* * *

(Art Coming Soon.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Lost Little Girl


	10. The Lost Little Girl

**_\- Underground Secret Room. Below Raccoon City Police Station. -_ **

The duo continued down the short staircase leading to a big office. Chris was somewhat surprised by the sight of the place. The area looked very clean as if someone has been coming here recently. Maybe it wasn't the first time someone has used this passage. There was a big desk with many books on it, plenty of bookshelves, a silver carriage with more books and a fire hydrant with a sign above showing how to put a T-bar valve on it. He didn't know what the hydrant was for though. _Are we supposed to find that T-bar?_ There was a small round table with a globe along with a wooden table with two medium sized statues; one was a unicorn and the other a lion.

Another table on the other side had a small scale model of the police station. There were some more flame rounds next to it so Claire quickly took them. It was a nice and cozy place, especially for an underground room. Chris honestly didn't mind staying here for a little longer while Claire was also taking her time, looking around. There was another exit in the office which likely led further. Chris wandered and looked past the doorway, seeing there was an elevator not too far away. He guessed that it would take them down even further since they were already underground.

Claire then broke the silence. "I think this place will do."

"Hmm…?" Chris turned to Claire who was smiling.

"To teach you how to use a gun."

"What? Er, No Claire... I don't think we have time for a lesson right now."

"You need to learn Chris... You can't always rely on your strength, your bare hands or other things. Learning about firearms will help you get through this. I'm not gonna wait until something bad happens that forces you to use a gun."

Chris nodded. "Alright, I'll give this a chance... You're right and so is Marvin. I guess... How hard can it be?"

"Great, let's get started." Claire unclipped the handgun from Chris' skinsuit's belt. "First are the basics. This small lever you see in the handle is the safety mechanism. Right now, it's on so you can't fire it. Just lower it like this and now the gun is armed and ready, or hot. That's what my brother used to say."

Chris nodded as he already knew about safety mechanisms on firearms.

"He's the one who taught you to use a gun?"

"Yeah, he wanted me to learn everything. From using weapons, hand to hand combat and self defense. Honestly, he can be a bit paranoid sometimes. Not that I'm complaining... I'm glad he did all this for me."

"You did say he was a cop or a member of S.T.A.R.S. ... I think he taught you because he worries about you and that he wants to protect you."

"More like he's _over_ -protective. Okay..." She handed him the gun. 'Now show me what you've learnt so far."

"The safety mechanism, on and off." Chris instantly repeated and pointed at the mechanism of the firearm.

"Good job, usually you should always have the weapon's safety on at all times... But since we’re in a zombie outbreak, it will be better to leave it off the whole time." Claire continued. "Now we can proceed to the next step. Aiming and shooting. First, show me how would you hold it if we were surrounded by zombies."

He has seen movies of how police and secret agents hold their weapons, so he imitated that. In response, Claire just smiled at him. That was a good sign that he did it right... _Or not_...

"Nice try, but you got it wrong."

"Huh? ... What?" He has seen Claire using her gun so he imitated her hold of it. "Okay, how about this?" 

This time, Claire just laughed and shook her head.

"What's so funny? That's how  _you_ hold your gun."

"Yes, but I'm experienced... You're not... You're supposed to hold it with both hands. I can hold the flashlight and shoot at the same time because I already know how to handle a weapon. A rookie like you needs to learn how to properly hold it. You don't want it to fall from your hands which would cause it to fire and hit someone accidentally. Like yourself."

"This is harder than I thought... I'm hopeless. If there were zombies around, then I'm gonna get eaten." Chris sighed, slightly dejected.

"That's why I'm teaching you. Let me show you."

Chris nodded as Claire went behind him. Her hands touched him, holding his hands and the handgun. He wasn't expecting this. For someone tough and headstrong like Claire, her hands were very soft. In turn, Claire felt that Chris' hands felt natural for a male but at the same time, his skin also felt as if it were sturdier than ordinary skin.

"That's how you hold it. Now, let's aim and find a target." Claire continued.

Guiding him, they were pointing at one of the white statues on the table. The unicorn one to be precise.  _Okay, pull the trigger. That's all I gotta do._

Claire noticed his hesitance. "Try and shoot that unicorn. Keep both of your eyes open, pull the trigger when you're ready... One more rule, don't hesitate. If you have it in your sight, fire away. Don't think of it too much."

Chris did as he told, gazing at the unicorn statue, focusing. The gun was pointing right at it, guided by Claire's hands. Her words were on his mind, no hesitation, no thinking too much. He pulled the trigger and the result was the unicorn statue shattering into pieces. His eyes widened; he actually did it. Claire's hands left as he put the gun down.

"I... I did it... At least, I think I did..." Chris swallowed.

"Not that hard, right?" She smiled back.

"Uh... Yeah, maybe if I practice enough, I should get better."

"Practice makes perfect. Go ahead, see if you can hit the other one."

Chris nodded moving the gun slowly until he was aiming right at the lion statue. Following Claire's advice, he did everything he remembered. It was on his sight, so he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the statue directly, shattering it.

“Wow, you did great! Quite impressive! We'll continue this later. You'll get even better, I know it."

Claire was visibly impressed at Chris' uncanny accuracy despite him admitting that he never used a gun before.

Chris grinned to himself. _I guess that even without powers, Kryptonians were a natural at handling weapons, including_ _firearms. Now, I wish I had a Plasma Carbine._

"Thanks for teaching me Claire. Everything you said really helped."

"That's how my brother taught me."

"Shouldn't we get going now?"

"Yeah. I think we've been here long enough."

* * *

 

They went through the other exit and continuing down further, Claire pressed a button on the outside. After a while, it opened as they entered the elevator before the doors closed. It was going further down underground. After a while, the elevator finally reached the designated floor. Chris guessed they were probably at the bottom floor of the passage and Claire volunteered to use the flashlight because it was dark. 

Walking down some more stairs, they took a path to the right. There was nothing but construction equipment among other things that weren't useful for them. After a minute looking around, Claire picked up something and showed it to Chris. He noticed that it was a hand grenade. After Claire took the grenade, they went back up the stairs, taking a doorway to their right. Thankfully, it wasn't as dark. 

As they continued down the path, the sound of steam hissing around them caught their ears. There were many large metal pipes all around and there was a path with iron pads and railings. Suddenly, both of them heard running footsteps and heavy breathing coming from above. As they looked up, saw a silhouette of someone running above them on the upper floor.

"Hold on, did you see that?"

"Looks like we're not alone down here." Claire nodded. "Hello? HELLO!?" She called out.

It was hard to describe who the person was because they weren't able to have a good look due to the fact that whoever it was came from above. However, judging from the light footsteps, it was probably someone small. The duo kept going straight ahead, reaching more machines and pipes until they took a second to stop. There was a door on the left side, which they looked at before taking the other way. Chris knew that leaving the police station wasn't going to be easy after seeing all this. This place was like a maze, and getting out wasn't going to be easy either. 

No, they weren't out of the clearing yet, not until they finally leave this city. As the duo continued on the metal railed path, they reach a doorway to another room but there was a large metal cabinet blocking their progress so Claire tried to move it out of the way. She let out loud grunts but ultimately failed to move the heavy object an inch.

"Dammit, won't budge." Claire said to herself.

"Don't worry, I got this."

Chris then placed his hand on the cabinet, but as he did, he suddenly got a bad feeling.  _Why does this have to happen now?_  He was really hoping that a licker doesn't show up. Chris would rather fight zombies than those super ugly freaks. Not to mention they were fast and very strong but luckily, his limited Kryptonian strength still allowed him to be stronger. If he was just a normal human, he would be in big trouble, or, possibly dead. Good thing that Claire was there to blast them to hell with her grenade launcher. She truly was awesome.  _No, now's not the time to be thinking about all this._

Focusing back on the metal cabinet, he was able to easily move it back with one hand and Claire wasn't surprised. Just then, they heard a noise as if someone was near and saw the shadow of a figure right in front of them. Claire then shone the flashlight into the small space.

"Anybody there?" Chris called out and bent over.

"Hello...?" Claire came even closer and knelt down as well. 

They then heard soft breathing and the person emerged from a pile of boxes. It was a little girl around nine or ten years of age. To Chris, this girl couldn't have been any older than ten. She had blue eyes, blond hair with two short bangs on each side along with the back tied in braids that meet into a knotted 'bun', a red headband, a silver-green bracelet on her right arm and a pink plastic 'Hello Kitty' watch on her left. Chris couldn't believe it as he looked at her; the girl was terrified. _Wait, was she here the entire time?_ A small young girl, all alone in the middle of this outbreak. Claire came to the conclusion she was the one running above them. _Why was she running in the first place? Whom was she running from? It didn't seem like there were any zombies down here._

"Hello. What are you doing here? We can help you." Chris spoke with a friendly tone in an attempt to calm the girl.

"Hey... It's okay, we won't hurt you. We promise." Claire reassured.

"Do you need help? Here... you can take my hand." Chris held his hand out to the girl.

The little girl slowly poked her head out. "Y-ou two... ne-ed.. he-lp..." She replied in a broken whisper, with her voice quivering with fear.

"I'm sorry, I can't understand you." Claire responded.

"You need help." The girl whispered more clearly and intelligibly.

"Why would you say that?" Chris asked, confused.

The girl pointed, shaking. "He's right behind you."

Chris felt another shiver run down his spine as he felt something was indeed behind him and Claire. Something big and probably scary. He prepared himself to fight as Claire followed taking her grenade launcher. Both were in shock. Honestly they were expecting a zombie, a zombie dog, or even a licker. But what they were staring at now, was a completely different creature, one they have never seen before. 

* * *

 

It attacked them but they manage to dodge, breaking one of the iron floors that they were standing on. It took a large metal pipe as the two fell off to the floor below. Chris managed to land on his feet but Claire landed on her side. _Ouch_. Chris helped her up as the creature jumped down before them.

"What is that thing?" Chris asked aloud.

It wasn't human, but half of its body had an actual human part and an arm. It had the head of a blond-haired man with hazel eyes, with half of the face mutated. _Did that thing used to be human?_  It had a large mutated right arm and a big yellow eye on its right shoulder. It then started swinging the big metal pipe around. Getting hit by that thing will most likely hurt. Chris started looking at his surroundings, looking for the best way to fight this thing.

"Words ain't gonna cut it with this freak..." Claire commented. 

"Well, words never really worked with anything we've fought so far."

"Good point."

Claire was about to fire but grumbled in annoyance as she realized she needed to reload her grenade launcher. Chris took the time to try and get behind the creature. He jumped eight feet in the air and over it, slashing its back with the combat knife. Chris figured that the monster was tough.  _Sorry dude, nothing personal._  It was staggered for a moment so Claire didn't waste any time using her gun. It may have looked big and hideous but at least they knew, it can be hurt; so maybe, it can be killed too.

On the upper level, the little girl was still hiding in the same place but she poked her head out of the boxes again. Through the window of the small room, she tiptoed and was just able to see the duo fighting the monster below.

Claire reloaded her gun, while Chris took the knife from its back before staggering it with a kick. The creature lunged and quickly swung with its pipe just as Chris put both of his arms up as a guard to block the attack. It sent him backwards and caused him to drop the knife. This surprised Chris. Had a normal human attempt to do what he just did, not only would their arms be broken but also most the body. As for Chris' denser bones, muscles and indestructible skinsuit, he was okay.  _So this guy was that strong._  He thought as he recovered and rubbed his arms. 

Claire kept focusing, firing on its head. All zombies and lickers were vulnerable to headshots, so this one was probably no exception. The horrid creature was only annoyed from the gunfire so it charged straight at Claire, dragging the pipe. Chris wasn't going to let anything happen to her so he took the opportunity that it was going after his companion. He found a small random piece of metal pipe and picked it up. He then dashed towards it and stabbed it in the back with the pipe.

"This thing's gotta go down." Claire looked toward Chris.

"Everything has a weakness. We just gotta find it... Keep attacking it on the front and I'll continue from the back."

Claire nodded and resumed firing her gun at the creature's head. Chris briefly panicked as it was about to charge at Claire with the large pipe. Unlike himself, if she gets hit with that, she will be gravely injured, or worse, possibly dead. Chris used his strength to firmly grasp the pipe and kicked the creature, causing it to slide back a few feet. This gave Claire the chance to evade and get around it. She reloaded her SLS-60 before switching to the GM-79, putting new flame rounds. _Maybe fire will kill it_. She heard Chris shouting at her, warning her to move.

The creature grabbed her head with its gross mutated arm but Claire was able to retaliate by using a flash grenade, while Chris kept striking it with the small metal pipe from behind, continuing to stagger it. He had to give it credit, it was a lot tougher than it looked. They were harming it, but not enough to put it down for good. Chris was certain by now that this thing must have a weak point, but it wasn't the head like the other creatures they've encountered. He saw Claire warning him to get back, pointing the grenade launcher. Chris leapt out of the way as she fired a flame round.

It was on fire and Claire shot another round. The freaking thing just won't die; it couldn't be invincible could it? Suddenly, Chris found a hand grenade laying and tossed it to Claire. _Odd place to put a deadly explosive._ Claire threw it while the thing was still on fire. The explosion sent it backwards a few meters, groaning and falling on one knee. _Wow, a grenade didn't damage its body that much._  Chris re-joined with her. They needed to think of something because if they can't kill this thing, it will only be wasting valuable ammo and they still weren't even out of this city yet, let alone this underground passage. Chris took advantage of the creature trying to recover and ran towards it.

"Chris, what are you doing?!" Claire exclaimed. Suddenly, steam sprayed from the ducts, blocking her view. She couldn't see what was happening in front of her. Nonetheless, she tried her best to follow him.

Chris leapt towards it at inhuman speed, summoning the strength that he had and shoulder bashed it, sending it sliding back several feet. He then punched the creature's face with is right hand, letting all his power connect with the blow, not holding himself back. The creature groaned in pain, turning its head to the side, dazed. A punch like that simply cannot be ignored. So Chris hit it again with his other hand, a third time with his right and a fourth time with his left in a rapid succession. He then grabbed the creature and threw it about twelve meters away. It was stunned and couldn't move.

The little girl was able to see the superhero clad man fight the creature unarmed; this was something she's never seen anyone do. Not only that, she's never saw a man that strong and fast before. Still, she was terrified of what was happening so she hid back behind more boxes and covered herself, not wanting to be found.

At that moment, that's when on the creature’s right shoulder, the giant eye opened. It was that obvious, why couldn't they figure it out before? The weak point was right under their noses the entire time.

"Claire! Aim for the eye!" Chris called back.

As the steam subsided, she shot her handgun right in the big eye on its right shoulder and the creature screamed in pain. Chris found the knife that he had dropped and followed by stabbing it, but the eye closed. At least they knew now what its weak spot was and how to beat it. The strategy to open it again was simple. Head shots hurt it and with enough hits, the eye should eventually open. Claire told Chris to cover her as she changed back to her grenade launcher again. Hitting this thing hard will make the eye open a lot quicker.

When the monster swung downward with the pipe, Chris dodged to the side as Claire, fired a flame round. The creature was engulfed in fire making it scream. Chris swore he heard it say something that sounded like "-EEERRRRRYYY!," but he couldn't be sure. It was down on one knee again so Chris took that opportunity to strike with a series of knife slashes and hard punches, of course, aiming for its head. The mutated creature recuperated and was able to hit Chris in the face with the pipe. Hard. Chris was sent flying back, through a metal grated pen (his body breaking through it) and hit the ground hard. He didn't have enough time to react and dodge the attack.

"Ow." Chris said softly as he got up and recovered.

Claire saw that, and got pissed, firing more flame rounds at the creature. At this point, she didn’t care if she ran out of ammo. It was stubborn, but she wasn't about to give up. Chris stood up and showed the he had no visible signs of physical injury, even though he was hit in the face. Thanks to his denser body tissue, that strike didn't hurt him that much. He saw Claire was busy reloading her grenade launcher so he went to get the creature's attention. Chris saw a wooden crate so he picked it up and threw it at the creature, hitting it in the chest. That was enough to distract it as the creature was swinging the pipe around. When Claire had finished reloading, she gave the creature hell by firing two more shots. Looks like it was done for as it dropped the pipe.

Chris did a running to jumping side kick which sent it back a few meters. The big eye has opened again and Chris' eyes were fixed on it. This was his chance to test his marksman skills. He took Marvin's handgun out as he remembered what Claire told him. He held the gun with both arms pointing at the eye. He didn't hesitate when the target was in his sight so he pulled the trigger and fire two shots. The bullets hit the eye and the creature roared in pain. It took a few steps, staggering backward into a railing. Chris leapt in and gave it an extra kick, causing it to fall over the railing. It fell a great distance into a mysterious abyss below. They have won.

* * *

"That... did the trick." Chris clipped the gun back to his skinsuit's belt.

Claire walked over to the railing but it was too dark. She was unable to see what happened to the creature.

"Do you think it's really dead?" Chris asked, still peering over the railing to where it fell.

"Let's hope so. Wouldn't want to face that thing again... You did great, Chris."

"Really? Thanks... I was able to shoot the eye."

"I'd say you’re learning to use firearms quicker than I thought.”

"I have a great teacher." He grinned back at her.

Marvin and Claire were right. He can't always rely on his superior strength, unarmed combat or random melee weapons. This outbreak was completely different than anything he's ever faced before. Everything he did beforehand, he used his powers to solve every problem. Fighting zombies who were once living and civilized humans was another thing. _I guess there was plenty of time to learn something new._ Chris knew that he can still improve and get better without needing his powers.

He followed Claire further as there was a retracted ladder that stood on the platform above them, but it wasn't released. They needed it, if they wanted to proceed. The floor above was five meters up. Chris couldn't muster the momentum jump that high by using his strength and without his powers, there was of course no flying. There was only one person who can help them right now.

"Hey! Little girl...!? It's safe now." Claire called out.

"The monster's been defeated." Chris added. 

"We're not going to hurt you... Please, we could really use your help."

"She's obviously frightened." Chris turned and whispered to Claire.

A few seconds later, the girl has suddenly emerged from the top floor next to the ladder. Chris was able to take a long look at her appearance. She wore a white short sleeved blouse with a thin blue stripe on the sleeves and a logo on the left side of her chest, a blue ribbon underneath the collar, a blue skirt, plain white socks worn above the ankles and red VANS authentic canvas sneakers. It looked like she was wearing a school uniform. He was right, looking at her, she really was scared. Who wouldn't be after seeing that thing? 

"Are you sure?" The girl asked nervously.

"Yeah, I promise. Everything's fine." Claire took one more look around and nodded reassuringly.

"I promise too. The place is clear... You have my word." Chris sported a smile.

"You..." The little blond girl took a look at him and noticed his Kryptonian supersuit and red cape. "Are you a superhero?"

"You bet I am." Chris flashed another smile, winking.

"Like the ones from comics, stories and fairy tales? Do you fight dragons and monsters and rescue the princess?"

"Well... in a way... But what matters most is you can count on me to protect you from any danger. My friend here, will protect you too... Don't worry, you'll be safe with us."

"Will you help me find my mom?"

"...Your mom is down here?" Claire asked, looking around again.

"I think so. I hope so."

"Yeah, of course. We'll help you." Claire replied.

The little girl gave a soft smile as she went over and pressed a button on a panel which allowed the ladder to be lowered. Chris let Claire climb first then he followed shortly. As they arrived at the top floor, they had a better look at the little girl. Someone so young was in this whole mess. Now that Chris thought about it, just how many kids like this one were involved? _Or, how many are gone, or have turned to zombies?_ _No, no, no I should not be thinking those horrible things._  Small children dying; that was something he could never tolerate. That's why helping this girl was now the most important thing to do, even more important than leaving this city. 

Claire stood next to Chris, noticing that something was bothering him. He was the kind of person to think and worry too much. The girl stood a little shy since she didn't know these people. Her mother always taught her not to talk to strangers, well, when she was around. However, those people were willing to help her find her mom. Maybe she might be able to trust them.

"Hi, I'm Chris and this is Claire. What's your name?” Chris introduced themselves as he knelt down to the girl's height and held out his hand.

"Sherry..." The girl answered and slowly extended her small hand, shaking Chris' then Claire's.

"That's a nice name, Sherry. Don't worry we're going to find your mom." Chris said as he put his hands on the little girl's shoulders. 

"Thank you, Chris."

"It's a hero's job to help the innocent and bring hope. That's what this symbol means." Chris pointed at the House of El 'S' emblem on his chest. 

"Really?” Sherry's eyes lit up.

"Yes, really."

"But... it looks like an S."

"Yeah, it's meant to- It's meant to wind like a river... that comes and goes. A good friend of mine used to say that hope is like a car keys. Easy to lose, but if you dig around, it's usually close by." Chris gave a smile.

"Sherry, do you know this place?" Claire asked.

"I've been here for a little while. I know the way out." Sherry pointed and start jogging up the stairs. "This way!"

"Let's stay close and stick together." Chris told Claire.

Sherry went ahead with the two following closely behind her. They arrived to a control room where there was a lever in a control panel. 

"It won't move." Sherry said pointing at the lever, indicating that she tried to pull it but with no luck. Chris walked over and pulled the lever down easily.

"You got it!" There was excitement in Sherry's voice.

It was moving a large platform to their direction. They now knew where to go while the girl seemed to be comfortable around them. That was a good sign.

"So... What's your mom like?” asked Claire.

"She works at Umbrella. She's making an important new medicine."

 _Umbrella?_ Chris thought, the name sounding familiar. _What's this important new medicine?_

"Umbrella? That big pharmaceutical company?" Claire frowned, also finding the name familiar.

"My mom's always at work. I don't get to see her much."

Chris sighed inwardly. _So her mom was a workaholic. She probably didn't spend any time with her daughter._ _Poor Sherry, she must feel lonely not having her mother around._ She was a sweet and nice kid. He would never do that, after all, as Superman II everyone looked up to him just like they do with Superman; children especially. Chris was already attached to the girl and he knew there was something special about her.

"Well, hopefully you'll get to see her soon." Claire said. "So... Where’s your dad?"

"He, um... worked with my mom but... he's gone."  
  
"Did something happen to him?" Chris asked, concerned.

"He just left during his and mom's research. I haven't seen him in a while… and my mom hasn't said anything."

Chris had a feeling something bad could have happened to her father. While he was in thought, Claire opened a locker finding another hip pouch. This time, she gave it to him and he caught it on time. He placed it along with the other hip pouches on top of his skinsuit's belt.

"Wow... Both of my parents are gone- It's just me and my brother." Claire replied.

Chris was shocked. This was a new piece of information from Claire. No wonder she's so caring about her brother. She was always worried for his safety, because he's the only family she has left, now that she brought up the fact that she's lost her parents. Chris turned to his her, as she was gazing at him. A soft smile spread to her lips as she didn't mind telling them.

" _Ooohh_ , I'm sorry..." There was genuine emotion in Sherry’s voice. "What about you Chris?"

Chris knew that his biological parents died along with everyone else when Krypton imploded. Superman and himself were possibly the only living Kryptonians, but he couldn't tell them that. Well, at least not yet. Both of his adoptive parents were still alive and well so he'll have to go with that. Besides they were just like any real parents anyone could ask for. However, he could at least tell the partial truth of his parents and the fact that he was adopted.

"I... I'm actually adopted. Both of my real parents died when I was a baby."

In turn, Claire then looked back at Chris. This was new information from him, since he never mentioned his family or the fact that he was orphaned at infancy before being adopted.

" _Aawww._ " Sherry's voice trembled and started to sound sad, for Chris. 

"Yeah... but it's okay... On the brighter side, I have my foster parents and my eight-year-old brother who are doing well, but they're very far away. I don't know when I'll see them again, or my friends."

"Oh... I hope you can see them again." Sherry replied.

"Yeah, me too..." He whispered but they still heard him.

"In a way, it means we've got something in common and... that's a good thing, right?" Claire finished.

The trio finally reached a dead end but there was a ladder, so Chris volunteered to check it out. As he climbed it, it was so dark. At the very top of the ladder, he touched something solid; a manhole lid. He had no problem removing the heavy object.

* * *

Chris looked around at where the passageway has led them and he was able to recognize the area from Elliot's notebook. It was the parking lot of the police station. This was the way out and he felt so happy and relieved that they did it. Chris climbed out and offered his hands to help Claire and Sherry, effortlessly pulling both of them up. There were a few cars parked and a black S.W.A.T. van. On the outside of a wide metal barred garage gate, there was a police car with the headlights still on. Not that far from them was what appeared to be a payment terminal machine, right next to the exit. If they can open that gate, they will be home free but it shouldn't be that easy. It was never going to be that easy; not during a zombie outbreak. Something bad will always happen. In their experience, there is no such thing as an easy way out.

"Over there!" Sherry called out, her voice echoing as she ran to the payment terminal of the large gate."It's closed..."

"Sherry, let's be careful." Chris had the feeling that they weren't alone.

"Dammit. We need a key card." Claire told them. 

"I knew it wasn't going to be that easy." Chris remarked.

"Come on." Claire gestured at them to come over. They might be able to lift it up. "Here, come help."

The three of them tried to lift the gate, but it wasn't budging. Chris only managed to bend to bars of the metal gate rather than lifting the whole thing up, even managing to snap one of the bars off. Nothing was working. Chris dropped the bar he broke onto the ground in frustration.

"And you're sure this is the way?" Claire asked.

"This is how my mom took me last time." Sherry replied.

"Sherry!?"

They turned around upon hearing an unfamiliar voice. Chris remained firm as he knew they weren't alone in the parking lot.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, Sherry..."

The person emerged from the shadows. It was an overweight older man looking in his mid-fifties, with grizzled (once brown) gray hair, brown eyes and a mustache. He is wearing a gray and white suit with a maroon necktie and brown pointed 'Chelsea' boots. On the left side of his chest, he had a card that said ‘PARKING PERMIT.’ That has to be the key card which will open the gate. Chris had a bad feeling; there was something fishy about this guy.

"Brave little girl to leave your house in the middle of this mess..."

"Who are you? Are you going to help us?" Chris asked calmly.

"On the ground, hands behind your head." The man completely ignored Chris. He drew a gun and pointed it at them, not answering the question.

"You can’t be serious..." Claire said in disbelief.

The older man gave a warning shot, shooting near by the trio. The bullet shattered a car window behind them. Chris remembered that he was no longer invulnerable or bullet-proof. It was best not to get shot by this guy.

"On the ground, now."

"What do you want with Sherry?" Chris asked while putting his hands up.

"That's none of your business kid. You're too early for Halloween." The man turned to Sherry. "Sherry, tie their hands." He threw some zip ties which landed at her feet.

Sherry was nervously shaking, not knowing what was going on. "Why are you doing this-"

"Shut up. Tie ‘em." The man angrily told the girl.

"Something tells me you’re not planning to take her to her mother." Chris kept his eyes on the man.

" _Hmph_. You'll be surprised. I know her parents very well, those two."

"Her parents?" Claire asked.

"Enough. Sherry, do it, or else..."

"I don't think so." Chris began to stand up in defiance.

Before the little girl could react, the man instantly shot Chris in the middle of his chest, directly on the 'House of El' emblem, sending him to the ground. No one noticed that the bullet didn't penetrate and fell to the ground instead. When the bullet struck him, he made a soft grunt and fell backwards, stunned.

"Chris!" Claire shouted in horror before glaring at the older man. "You son of a bitch! You didn't have to do that!"

"No...!" Sherry gasped in utter shock as she could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Her entire body was now visibly shaking with fear.

"See what happened when you don't listen, Sherry? Now, do as I say or she will join him." The older man was now pointing his gun at Claire.

Sherry immediately obeyed as she put Claire's arms down behind her back and tied her hands using the cable tie. Claire quickly glanced at Chris who is still breathing. That was a sign that he was still alive.

"What's this about?" Claire demanded, glaring back at the man.

"Child endangerment, for starters." The man took his key card and inserted it in the slot of the terminal which allowed the gate to open. "Sherry, come here."

"What are you gonna do to her?"

"None of your fucking business."

"If you hurt her, I swear to god, my brother is S.T.A.R.S, and I will fucki-"

The man didn't want to hear it and kicked Claire in the abdomen, hurting and knocking her down. Chris saw this, and quickly stood up glaring at him, much to everyone else's surprise, especially Sherry's. However, the older man reacted on time and was now pointing his weapon directly at Claire.

"If you make one move, she dies. At this distance, I won't miss... Think carefully."

Chris didn't say anything. _What am I going to do? My supersuit protected me… mostly… The bullet still hurt. I don't want to_ _get shot again._

"I'm impressed you're still standing after getting shot. There's not a scratch or bullet hole on you, even with that silly costume. It's not every day that anyone will get up as if nothing happened. At least, a mere man anyway."

Sherry was clearly frightened, intimidated and breathing heavily. Chris kept his eyes on the man. His indestructible skinsuit and denser body tissue helped him survive a bullet to the chest while he didn't have his powers. The skinsuit mainly though. If it weren't for the skinsuit or if the man aimed for his head, he most likely would be dead.

Kryptonian body tissue and skin, while much denser than a human's, were not bulletproof when depowered. But when empowered and charged by a yellow sun, a Kryptonian's body become countless times denser than normal as well as every cell in their body emitting a supercharged bio-electric aura that irradiated within a few millimeters of their skin, which acted like an additional invisible force field. This made them basically indestructible and virtually invulnerable. Even their hair, nails, eyeballs, every exposed body parts and even their insides were as durable as their skin.

However, all this didn't matter to Chris now, since it was still night time with no way to recharge his powers. No invulnerability, or super-speed which would have been useful right now. If he moves or tries anything, he will shoot Claire and after that, he might shoot Sherry. They certainly wouldn't survive that. He gritted his teeth and nodded as he put his hands up, admitting defeat for now.

"Alright... You win." Chris said as he still kept his eyes on the man. There really was nothing he can do at this point; not without someone getting hurt.

"You did the right thing kid. Now Sherry, get over here."

The girl hesitated, still breathing heavily and trembling but the older man wasn't planning on being patient. He walked closer to Claire and knelt down, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her hair.

"What's your name?"

Claire didn't answer.

"I said, what's your fucking name?" The man became frustrated as he pointed the gun to Claire's face.

"Claire!" She responded loudly, with her voice echoing around the parking lot. 

"Sherry, you come with me now or say goodbye to Claire!"

Sherry felt even more fear swell up within her and quickly gave in. "Okay, okay! I'll go! You better be taking me to my mom." The girl pointed her finger back at the man.

"Absolutely." The man replied while bowing his head and putting his arms up.

Claire knelt back up and faced Sherry. "Don't listen to him! He's full of shit!"

In response, the man pistol whipped Claire across her face, knocking her back down to the ground. This gave her a bloody nose and lip, causing her to spit blood from her mouth. 

Sherry could feel the tears in the corner of her eyes again, about to pour. One tear managed to stream down her face. "Stop hurting her! Please!"

Without anyone noticing, Claire started to use the edge of the metal gutter she was on in an attempt cut her binds.

The man roughly grabbed Sherry by the arm and started to head out of the parking garage.

"Don't tell me how to do my job!" He sneered. "Obviously, nobody taught you manners. We'll just have to fix that! Oh yes, we will."

"Stop! Let me go! Let me go! Let me goooo!" Sherry cried with tears coming out, dragging her feet and tippy toes on the ground while struggling to get free but could not. The man was way too strong for her as he tightened his grip. To Sherry, it honestly felt like that this man could break her arm if he wanted to. 

 _Not on my watch_. Chris set his eyes on the older man and started to approach in an attempt to stop him.

During her struggle, Sherry managed to unhook a golden pendant that she was wearing around her neck and dropped it on the ground without anyone seeing it.

 _BLAM!_ The man reacted by firing a bullet that managed to hit Chris in the shoulder. Again, his skinsuit deflected the bullet while his shoulder recoiled back from the force. It still hurt, but he didn't fall back down like before. He tried to persevere and advance towards them, wanting to save Sherry. The man learned that bullets weren't working on Chris, so he turned his aim to Claire. Chris jumped in front of her, using his body and cape to shield her. Another bullet struck him in the back but more fortunately, the back of his skinsuit was more padded and sturdier than the rest, thus, it didn't hurt nearly as much.

The man, who was dragging Sherry made their way out of the parking garage. At that moment, Claire managed to free herself by finally cutting the cable tie and she jumped onto her feet. Both Claire and Chris ran for Sherry, but the gate closed too quickly before they could get out and pursue them.

"I'LL GET YOU, YOU FUCKER!" Claire screamed out as she kicked the gate in frustration. She then wiped the blood from her mouth and nose.

"I'm sorry I let him take Sherry..." Chris was disappointed with himself, feeling useless yet again. Having no powers really sucked. "Are you alright? You're bleeding."

"Thanks Chris, I'm fine. You saved my life... Oh my god!" Claire remembered Chris getting shot. "Are you okay? You got shot!" She was quickly checking on him.

"I'm fine. Mostly. See, my skinsuit protected me, the bullets didn't even damage it in the slightest." Claire noticed that he was right. "There you have it. It's more than a Halloween costume."

Claire was really taken aback that he survived. That costume of his has just shown it could be way stronger than a bulletproof vest, but then again it wasn't thick at all. He should at least be somewhat hurt, as strong as he is, but Chris didn't seem to be much bothered. Claire then touched his chest where he'd been shot.

" _Ooh_ , I felt that." Chris felt a bruise where she had touched him.

"I need to take a look. How do you take this thing off?" Claire was still worried.

"I agree. Getting shot actually kinda hurt."

Chris was curious to see what sort of damage bullets did to him, even protected by his skinsuit. Chris then placed his right arm under his cape in order to reach the top back and pressed two tabs. This allowed the back of the skinsuit to split open in order to remove it. Claire then pulled the top off and in doing so, his cape slid off and fell to the ground. Claire saw where the bullets had hit him. There were visible but minor welts in the middle of his chest and his left shoulder. The bruises honestly didn't look that bad. They were comparable to common everyday bruises humans got when something hits them hard.

"You're so lucky you only got bruises from getting shot. What is that costume made out of? Steel? It feels too soft to be steel but can apparently take bullets without a scratch." _This was new_.

Chris didn't really want to answer that since he knew that she definitely won't believe it, so, he tried to change the topic.

"Claire I... I'm sorry I couldn't react faster. I should have stopped him from taking Sherry."

"It's not your fault, that fat son of a bitch is going to pay." Something caught Claire's eyes on the ground. A golden pendant.

"It looks like a locket." Chris observed.

"It must have fell off from Sherry when that bastard took her." Claire replied as she picked the pendant up and looked out the gate. "Stay safe, Sherry." She said softly but Chris heard her.

"Don't worry Claire, we're gonna find her."

"Damn right, we will."

"That guy said he knows her parents, but I don't think he's planning on taking her to her mother."

"I don't trust him one bit. He's up to something." Claire agreed.

"Well, we won't be doing much waiting here. Let's find the way out of this place."

"Right. Key card first, then that asshole gets what's coming to him."

* * *

^Claire and Chris find Sherry (https://i.imgur.com/sAW3Ep7)

^ Sherry is hiding (https://i.imgur.com/SRyviXb)

 ^ The trio are confronted by Chief Irons. (https://imgur.com/qnBYm0U)

^ Sherry is dragged out by Chief Irons but she manages to drop her pendant on purpose. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, what a long chapter!
> 
> Next Chapter: Fear Factor


	11. Fear Factor

Remembering the drawing from Elliot's notebook, the exit was right through this place. Unfortunately, the gate was closed and they needed a key card to open it but if they work together, they can find that key card. It was because they encountered some old, fat lowlife who was interested in Sherry for some reason or other. He didn't give any real explanation, apart from saying that he knows her parents. The man had managed to shoot Chris three times but due to his skinsuit, it mostly protected him from the impact of the bullets. Nonetheless, they were simply too late as the man ran off with the girl.

So here they were, still in the parking garage with the gate closed and without Sherry. Chris felt bad with himself because he felt could have done more to prevent this man from taking her but at the same time, he couldn't risk him shooting Claire or his own head which was unprotected. If the man had shot her, she certainly would have been dead and Chris would have to live with that forever. Not only that, poor Sherry would have witnessed someone's death. Something like that will undoubtedly scar her forever, at such a young age. _How can I be Superman II if I can't protect the people around me?_

However, there was no time to stand around and contemplate when there was a little girl who needed his help. One way or the other, he will find Sherry. This city was far too dangerous for a ten-year-old like her to be in it. He didn't trust that man who took her one bit. Now was the time to think, what to do next? How was he going to solve these problems and save Sherry when he still doesn't have his powers?

"I swear to God, I'm going to get that fucker." He heard Claire sounding pissed.

"Hey, don't forget about me. I... might have screwed up, but it's gonna be okay. I really want to save Sherry."

"What are you talking about?" Claire gazed quizzically back at him. "You didn't screw up."

"I had the chance to stop him from taking her but… He aimed at you so I jumped in front of you and let the bullet hit me."

"If you hadn't done what you did, I would have been dead. You saved my life and what you did was really brave... I wouldn't be much help if I had a bullet in my head, right?"

Chris just sighed and shook his head. "I'm really sorry."

"No, you don't need to apologize... But we need to find Sherry and get that bastard before who knows what he does to her."

"Count me in... I'll take that guy in without breaking him. All we gotta do is find a way to open this gate."

"We need to find a key card to open it. There has to be another one somewhere."

"Well, there are places that we still haven't looked at. Maybe we might find it if we investigate this area."

"That's right. Find the key card first, then we get that asshole."

"That's one way of putting it." Chris smiled.

They were more determined than they were before. So, they got started on finding that key card. The duo went to the only door that opened in the garage to begin their investigation.

"Must be where that guy came from." Claire commented.

Entering through the doorway, they found themselves in a straight hallway with an elevator ahead of them but they noticed a magazine on a table. Claire picked it up and the two started reading it.

**_Raccoon Monthly, June Issue, 2018_ **

_Attention All Raccoon City Heroes!_

_Who's the most feared, and yet respected man in town? The answer should be obvious to any resident of our fair city. That's right!_  
_It's police chief Brian Irons: the man that scares the bejeezus out of criminals everywhere and stern father that loves one of us_  
_sinful citizens. Chief Irons is known for his great charity work, including big contributions to the orphanage, support for abused_  
_women, art preservation, animal conservation-let us know if we've missed anything! Just when does our great hero sleep!? When_  
_asked, "The city is my extended family, I'm just doing what I'd do for my family," Chief Irons said with a soft smile._

Both of them gave looks of disbelief when they saw a picture of the man on the page.

"It's the same guy that kidnapped Sherry and tried to kill us..." Chris started.

"That son of a bitch is the police chief!?"

"Police Chief and Hero... That magazine is false advertising." Chris joked with a slight smirk. "But seriously, we don't even know what his motives are... Although, he did say he knows her parents. If that's true, he might be using her to get her mom's attention."

"Like a bargaining chip? Or worse, a ransom? ... Now, I hate him even more."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the street outside the parking garage, Sherry continued to struggle as Chief Irons dragged her away and shoved her into his car.

"Let me go! Let me goooooo! ... Help! Help!" She continued to scream.

" _Help, Help._ " Irons mocked before growling at the girl . "Shut the fuck up, you annoying little bitch!"

While Irons drove the car, Sherry continued to sob in the back. "Wh- Where are you taking me?"

"That's none of your damn business. Now stop talking!"

Sherry was silent after that, with her small frame sinking into the car's backseat. She was obviously still intimidated and terrified by the man.

As Irons drove through seemingly quiet and empty shortcuts, as well as avoiding the main streets, it didn't take that long to reach their destination. He then parked outside the Raccoon City Orphanage. He then turned from the driver's seat then glared at Sherry.

"You will keep your mouth shut and show me some fucking respect. Or else, there will be consequences."

He got out of the car and grabbed Sherry's arm, dragging her to the orphanage entrance gate. As they walked, Sherry was still evidently uncomfortable and tried to pry her assailant's hand off but he was just too strong, keeping a firm grip.

"Stop resisting. We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way." Irons angrily snarled at the little girl.

As they entered the orphanage, they headed up a staircase and marched to a door. Irons opened the door to a bedroom and roughly threw Sherry onto the floor as she gave a faint yelp.

"Now stay put like a good girl." Irons turned around and slammed the door, locking it.

Sherry got up and ran to the door but it was locked with no way out.

"No..." She softly croaked out.

Sherry was trapped. The musty smell of old wood filled the room. She slowly wandered to a bed and sat on it, her feet swinging back and forth. She didn't even bother lying down or going to sleep. As she sat on the side of the bed, all she did was stare down at her shoes, moving her toes around inside them. She didn't understand what had just happened. _Where am I? Who was that man? Where is my mom?_ _Claire and Chris tried to help me. Are they alright?_ All she could do now was wait for someone, anyone, to save her.

Ten minutes passed but it felt like a long time for Sherry as she became bored. She took her shoes off and sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed. That felt better since she hasn't taken them off in five days and her feet were aching, due to the running around she had been doing and that her shoes were actually one size too big. Sherry then spotted an art sketchpad and a few colored pencils. Sherry thought that maybe she could pass the time by drawing; another thing she was good at. 

* * *

Back in the narrow hallway near the parking garage, Claire put the magazine away. They spotted something stuck to a wall. It was the map of the Police Station B1, possibly for the garage and the rooms around it. Now, they will know exactly where to look.

The elevator that stood in front of them is supposed to go to the chief’s office. The was a sign next to it that read ‘Chief's express elevator: Not for general use.’ So maybe only the chief and other high ranking officers can probably use it. They tried to press the button to activate it but nothing happened. They won't be heading this way, from the looks of it. There was another door on the left to the elevator which had a lock in the shape of a pink diamond but they still didn't find the diamond key yet. Chris decided to continue refraining to break doors down since the sounds may attract more unwanted company. In a place like this, there could be still some surprises and not the good types of surprises.

Okay, so they weren't going through there now. The duo didn't have much of a choice so they returned to the parking garage in order to find another way. This was starting to get annoying, but predictable, since it wasn't going to be easy to find that key card. They could imagine of how many places and zombies they will have to get through in order to find it. Based on their experiences so far, nothing was going to be easy. Claire then paused for second, realizing that she forgot something. 

"Oh... I'm an idiot..."

"What is it?" Chris asked, confused.

"I taught you how to use a gun, but not how to reload it."

"I suppose knowing that might help."

So they took a short break as she explained to him how to put the bullets into the firing magazine. It wasn't that complicated as Chris easily understood the first time. The main thing was how fast you can reload in order to have the advantage if you're surrounded by enemies, or, in this case zombies. Right now, Chris was hoping that finding the key card wasn't going to be as strenuous as finding those three medallions. 

They went to the other door in the parking garage which wasn't that far from them. As they opened the door, they entered another dark hallway so Chris volunteered to hold the flashlight. There were two paths, so they kept going forward and entered the first door they saw. They noticed that the area as a firing range; the place where police officers will practice their aim by firing at targets from a far distance. Dead bodies caught their attention where the targets were placed and this place was darker than the others. So far, they haven't heard anything, no zombies, dogs or lickers around but they didn't want to jump to conclusions yet. There was a piece of paper on a nearby table so Chris picked it up, hoping if it could be useful for their investigation.

**_Equipment Disposal Notice_ **

_Item to be Disposed:_

_Key to Patrol Car 7439_

_Details:_

_Bent key, no longer usable, but can still open the car's door's and trunk with its keyless entry buttons._

So, there was a police car which was no longer usable because the key doesn't work anymore, but it can open the car's trunk. However, neither of them knew if the information was helpful or useless, that is until, they looked next to where the piece of paper stood, there was a yellow storage box. Claire opened it, revealing the bent key for the said car. Going all the way to the end of the firing range, there was another door before them which they went inside. It led to the area where the targets are stored. Chris knew that those dead bodies will eventually rise up so he used the combat knife and stabbed their heads, killing them. giving the two one less problem to worry about. There was nothing else of interest here, so the duo left and backtracked to the other path they didn't take when they first arrived.

They continued walking until reaching a dead end and another door, but both stood still when they heard a familiar inhuman hiss. It certainly sounded like a licker. As Chris slowly opened the door, there it was but the creature had its back turned, unaware of the two's presence. Claire has carefully taken her grenade launcher with new flame rounds loaded. Chris signaled her to stay silent while he tip-toed, attempting to get close to the creature. Claire was against this and signalling him to get back; he really was crazy. She knew that the best way to deal with a licker was to take it out from a safe distance. Chris was right behind it, before plunging combat knife right in its head. He removed the knife then stomped its head in, crushing brain matter everywhere. Chris greatly detested doing this but he knew he had to. Once the licker problem had been taken care of, they had a look around at where they were. There were so many cages and most of them were opened, but there was nothing inside.

Another hiss caught their attention which means there was another licker was nearby. The duo walked silently until they saw it clinging on the ceiling above them, in between a couple of pipes. There was no way Chris will be able to stealth kill that one without making a loud noise. So this time, Claire will be the one to take it out. He nodded to her, singalling her to take the shot when she was ready. She fired the flame round, burning the creature as it fell off to the ground. It was about to get up as Claire fired another one, burning it and killing it. Hopefully, this was the last licker in this area.

* * *

 

As the duo continued ahead, there was a door with pile of sacks around but they didn't enter it. There was another dead end with a barricade of tables, chairs and other things but there was a door and a path going left. Taking the left path, it was another dead end with a closed metal shutter and a panel next to it. The panel had a small square shaped hole as if something was supposed to be inserted. Below stood a picture of a crank handle but they needed to find one if they wanted to open the shutter.

Nothing to do there, so they  went back to the door they haven't entered yet. It was a real mess with so many things scattered. Claire noticed they  
were in a morgue, seeing where they placed the dead bodies. The police station needs a morgue since they have many causes of homicides. As they looked around, a piece of paper laid on top of a large plastic crate among the mess so Claire took it. It must be some sort of autopsy report, considering where they are.

**_Autopsy Record No. 53477_ **

_Name of Deceased: Justin Hanson, male, Caucasian, aged 39_

_Observations:_

_Found dead in a jail cell bed by staff. Hands are still clenched tight due to rigor mortis, which should be coming to an end. It's_  
_lightly likely that he died just after lights out. Deceased was a known kleptomaniac incarcerated multiple times. Incredibly, he_  
_would steal even while in jail, though that was consistent with his clinical diagnosis._

"It didn't mention anything about bite marks. Maybe, he was never infected... I hope." Claire said.

Claire told Chris to point the flashlight on the bodies that were being reserved. Chris admitted that this had to be the creepiest place in the station, so far. Since there were really dead bodies, there are high chances that they will reanimate as zombies. Most of the drawers were empty, though, much to their relief. There was nothing in these drawers until they checked the other side. Hopefully, this will be the last place they need to investigate. Some drawers were empty until reaching the one that has the name Justin Hanson, the man mentioned on the autopsy report.

Chris slid the drawer out, showing the body. He was holding something in his left hand. It was the pink diamond key, out of all the places to find it. Carefully, he took it but as soon as he did that, the body reanimated as a zombie. He pushed it back down with one hand then stabbed the corpse in head with the combat knife in his other hand, fully expecting that to happen.

Not wanting to stay any longer in the morgue, they went back to the exit. Now that they have the diamond key, they’ll be able to open those locked doors properly but they also needed to do some more backtracking and exploring to find them. As they left the room filled with cages, the sound of another licker filled their ears. Just how many were there?. Slowly walking to the corner, the creature was hanging from the ceiling. Claire readied the grenade launcher, firing one flame round. The creature fell to the ground in flames before it was shot by another, killing it. Claire gave a soft sigh of relief, reloading the weapon.

* * *

 

After leaving the area, they backtracked to the last room where the elevator to the chief's office was located. There's another diamond lock door there, so this was their next destination. Opening the door, there was a control panel with a lever. Both knew that must be the control for the elevator. There were some lockers too and Claire found the shoulder stock for the GM-79 grenade launcher. She nodded in approval as it will make handling the weapon easier. Chris then pulled the lever which made a loud noise, as if it were activating the power of some machinery. It must for the be the elevator, now allowing it to be operational. Looks like they will be returning to the police station.

The two entered inside as the doors closed and the elevator went up, not taking long to reach to the designated floor. The elevator led to a hallway which was completely unfamiliar to them. There were metal barred fences instead of walls and there was no ceiling. Surprisingly, it was still raining.

Entering a corridor, they arrived at an office with a few stuffed and preserved animals. There was a raccoon on the desk, a wolf on the left and next to it was a pair of reindeer heads and not too far, an alligator and an eagle. Next to a printer, there was a desktop computer which Claire woke up, hoping to find some information but it was password locked. This was obviously the office of Chief Irons.

There were some papers on the desk next to some sub machine ammo, which Claire grabbed. Maybe those papers could give them a clue to where Irons took Sherry. 

_**Copy of Emails to Chief Irons** _

**_Police Chief Irons_ **

_As thanks for your unwavering support, I have deposited a small sum into your account, to use as you see fit. I hope I can count_  
_on you to maintain surveillance over your subordinates, especially the ones who survived that mansion. Get rid of them if you_  
_must._

_W.B._

**_Police Chief Irons_ **

_I ran into some trouble at Umbrella headquarters. The suits want to take the fruit of my research away. But don't worry, this will_  
_all blow over soon. You just keep doing what I tell you to and everything will be all right._

_W.B._

**_P_ ** **_olice Chief Irons_ **

_You are to up the security around my lab. Your muscle heads are to shoot any suspicious person on sight, Doesn't matter if they_  
_kill them, or even if they're Umbrella employees. I'm so close to completing G, and no asshole is going to get in my way._

_W.B._

**_Police Chief Irons_ **

_Get your shit together and do your fucking job! I TOLD YOU I need more security in the sewers! Don't you know how critical of_  
_a time this is for me!? As for the money, I can pay you whatever once I take over, but not before. Why don't you get that!? Never_  
_forget how expendable you are._

_W.B._

"It looks like whoever wrote all of these emails has been secretly paying and bribing the Chief to increase security." Chris noted. "And I wonder what is this 'G' that guy was talking about?" 

"I dunno, but this is a big piece of evidence that the bastard is involved with Umbrella and he probably knew something was going to happen to this city."

"The outbreak? Could he be apart of that as well?"

"No one knows for sure, but this gives us more reason not to trust him and we can't let him get away with whatever he's planning. We need to get that key card and find Sherry, fast."

"Yeah..." Chris nodded and took another look at the paper, seeing the initials W.B.

Next to the desk, was a round wooden table with some handgun ammo and a notebook. Chris picked up the notebook and started perusing it, hoping to find more clues.

**_Taxidermy Log_ **

_White-Tailed Deer (Male, approx. 6 years old)_

_Place of Capture: Arklay Mountains_

_Length: 6'1 Weight: 133 lbs._

_Pleased with how it turned out, but I'm getting tired of working on these puny things. May be time to move on to more_  
_challenging animals._

_Siberian Tiger (Male, approx. 4 years old)_

_Place of Capture: Khabarovsk Krai_

_Length: 9'6 Weight: 529 lbs._

_I nearly came when I sliced its yellow belly open and its warm guts spilled out. I still smell the wild beast. This is the life._

_Pig (Female, 22 years old)_

_Place of Capture: Raccoon City_

_Length: 5'3 Weight: 110 lbs._

_The specimen's body is soft, sweet, and white all over. And it's all mine. Forever._

"Oh boy… This guy's a diseased maniac." Chris gulped and felt on edge after reading. The chief had an unhealthy obsession with killing animals.

"He's fucked up in the head" Claire added. "How can someone so sick and twisted be the chief of police?!"

"Hold on a second, that last entry. I don't think he was talking about a pig."

"What do you mean?" Claire asked, confused.

"Look at this... First, unlike the others, he didn't exactly specify what breed of pig it was. A pig isn't usually 5'3 in length, though, they could be. Even if it was, how could it weigh only 110 lbs? That's way too light for a pig that size... and look at the age, 22 years old. A pig's lifespan is usually in between 15 and 20 years... _Great Krypton_... He's talking about a person. A young female."

"WHAT!? That's so fucked up!" Claire practically yelled.

"He tried to cover it up by calling whoever that woman was a pig. Unfortunately, no one saw the obvious. That is, if they read this.” Chris added. "To top that all off, he has Sherry..." He was beginning to get angry. "I swear to Rao, he better not lay a single hand on her."

"We've got to get outta here... Quickly." Claire's concern rose.

They left the office, taking the door on the right. There another stuffed animal on display, this time, it was the Siberian Tiger in an attack position, laying on a piece of plastic grass and soil on a stone platform. After reading the taxidermy log, Chris felt sorry for the poor animal and all those that were killed and stuffed by the police chief, even more so for that human female that was referred to as a pig.

"Poor lady though. She was only twenty-two... That's the same age as me." Chris remarked.

"Wow, Really?" Claire then blinked, eyeing Chris."

"Yeah, I'll be twenty-three in December."

"Huh, I honestly thought you were younger... like seventeen or eighteen."

Chris chuckled and smiled. "I get that a lot."

"I'm only nineteen."

"You go to college by any chance? I do..."

"Yeah. I study automotive technology. I'm into vehicle customization."

"That's awesome! ... Well I'm in my last year. I study computers and software development."

"Are you serious? That's even better! So you get to work with computers a lot?"

"Indeed. I also have a part-time job as a software developer."

"Wow..."

As they continued their conversation, they reached a doorway at the end of the corridor. Entering through, they were in a room with some antiques on display and another steel pen, but with much thicker bars. Chris noticed it was locked and they will have to find something to open it. If he attempted to open it with his raw strength, he might just end up bending the bars without opening it, just like the garage door. Not only that, the bars were too thick to be able to fully warp and make a sizable hole. Instead, there was a panel which was wide open, showing electronic circuits but there were a couple of certain parts missing. They would need the parts if they wished to operate it. Looking past the bars of the steel pen, they saw a card hanging on a coat hanger next to a desk. It read 'PARKING PERMIT.'  The was the exact key card they needed to get out of the parking garage.

"Thank God... The key card." Claire commented.

"At least we found it sooner than we thought."

The went to the back of the room until reaching a dead end with more antiques, then they noticed a note next some vases. Chris picked it up and started reading it.

**_Repair Shop Letter_ **

_From your description regarding the electronic lock on the door in the police chief's office, it sounds like something needs_  
_replacing._

 _You will need some power panel parts to fix the issue. Fortunately, a repair man from one of our shops is at the station to repair_  
_the bell at the clock tower._

 _We sent a few spare parts with him, and he reported that he left one in the 3rd floor east storage room. If something goes wrong or_  
_you need more than one, please don't hesitate to seek him out at the clock tower._

_We look forward to serving you again._

"From the looks of it. Nobody called that repair man to do this job." Claire gazed back at the opened electronic lock panel.

"We would need to find the power panel parts to open the gate and get the key card." Chris replied.

"That's what it looks like. Great, more work to do."

Something has suddenly caught Chris’ eyes. "Hey...That's a nice picture. Look at that."

Claire saw it on a small table and she picked it up. The picture had two people kneeling before a heart with a hole in the middle. One looked like it was actually touching it, while the other seemed to be praying. Examining it closely, she looked behind it and there was a red key in the shape of a heart.

"Hell Yeah." Claire gave a grin as she removed the key.

"Another key. That should be useful." Chris noticed they have three keys now.

They returned to the chief's office, this time, taking the door on the left. It had the lock in the shape of a heart but that was no problem, since they just got the right key. Unlocking the door, they entered an area with a staircase leading up and another flight of stairs leading down along a closed roller door, further down a hallway. 

Taking the stairs up, there were more lockers with bookshelves and furniture along with other things. Entering another door into a darker room, most of the stuff were wrapped in plastic. This had to be a storage room for things people haven't used yet. After some looking around, Chris spotted a large 12-inch gear and attached it behind him, tucking it in between his belt and hip pouches. He thought that it might be something they may need in the long run, knowing how things work here now. There was always something needed first in order to get the next. Their new objective was finding two parts needed for the power panel. Claire found some flame rounds and picked them up just as a zombie arrived. She simply shot it down with her handgun, its body slumping the ground. After killing the zombie, another door stood in their way.

Opening the door, it was a small room with some boxes and mannequins but an orange box caught their attention so they opened it. There was an electronic part inside which is what they needed for the control panel. They were now making some progress and the sooner they solve this, the better.

"Okay, that's one down. We just gotta find the other one." Chris commented.

Looking at a mannequin, Claire found a combat knife and took it for herself since Chris had been using her original one; the one Marvin gave her. So they might as well make the most of it. Taking another path, the two exited another door and now they were now outside, with their bodies getting wet from the rain that didn't seem to stop. Claire then climbed down a ladder while Chris just jumped straight down, landing on his feet. They saw the fire from the chopper that crashed on the building a while back but they needed to do something about it. Fortunately, the opening of a large water pipe was directly above the fire. 

There was water pump was near the crash site which was perfect since they can use that to put the fire out. Chris pulled the handle, but the water was coming from the opposite direction of the fire. It took them a few seconds to figure out what could be the problem but realized that the direction the water flowed within the pipes could be changed. They needed to find the water pump controls so they can do just that. They climbed down the stairs which led to the ground level where they encountered more zombies. Chris used the combat knife, since it was faster to kill them and will save them ammo. At the end, they finally found the water pump controls where the yellow lever was on the left side so Chris just turned it to the right. 

Now the water should flow the right way and should be able to put the fire out from the crashed chopper. The duo returned to the water pump and Chris pulled the lever down. A torrent of water hit the chopper and the fire was out in a matter of seconds. They should be able to cross over to the other side of the building now. Claire opened the door into the building and took the lead. Approaching the corridor, the chopper was badly burned, but the fire was gone.

Suddenly, a mysterious hand grabbed it was pushed out of the way like it weighed nothing. It shocked the two as they stopped in their tracks. The one responsible was a very tall person in a black trench coat, with black leather gloves, black pants, black boots and a fedora hat. His face was gray, pale and wrinkled and so he had white eyes as he gazed ahead at the two.

Chris thought to himself. _This guy moved that chopper as if it were nothing. It would weigh, what? four, five tons? In my current state, I would probably have trouble lifting it with both hands. He’s most likely stronger than me now._

"Jesus! Stay back!" Claire yelled at the figure.

"Something tells me he's not a friendly." Chris gulped at the sight as it started to advance towards them. He is now worried about facing some eight-foot-tall giant and the possibility of it being stronger than him, but by how much stronger? He didn't know...

* * *

 

(Art coming soon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, another long-ish chapter.
> 
> Next Chapter: X for 'X-tra Nightmares'


	12. X for X-tra Nightmares

There was something definitely off about this for sure. Firstly, the eight-foot giant had lifted the chopper as if it were nothing and secondly, it didn't look friendly at all. Heck, he most likely wasn't even a zombie and the duo can tell that he was nothing but trouble. He most certainly wasn't going to be nice and let them pass through. Zombies, dogs, lickers, the mutated creature and now this guy. This giant looks very serious and could be stronger than Chris is in his current powerless state. 

At first, Chris thought that maybe talking to the giant might do something but Claire took his hand and got themselves out of there. They went through the door they just entered and reached outside, their bodies getting wet again from the rain. No time to complain, the giant trench-man was following them, bursting through the door. He was nothing but more trouble for the two. 

"Any idea why that thing is following us?" Chris asked Claire, while still looking back then straight ahead. 

"No idea, but let's not find out."

Claire saw the large man getting closer to them and he was walking quite fast too. She took out her grenade launcher, but she was too late to react. The pale trench coat wearing man was about to lunge a giant punch at her but Chris saw this coming and got in the way. He took the blow for her and he was sent flying. He didn’t even brace for it, he just took the massive punch straight on. He landed hard on the cement floor, rolling upon it until he stopped. He had dropped the gear he had acquired back at the east storage room.

"Chris!" Claire yelled out, panicking.

Upon witnessing this, she was obviously shocked and worried so she ran to him, checking on him. However, she was even more shocked to see that he was alright. Chris showed no wounds, bleeding or broken bones at all. 

"Holy shit, are you alright!?"

"Yeah." Chris nodded as he started to get up.

Now she was really suspecting him to be something more. She knew a blow like that would certainly severely injure or maybe even kill a normal person, but Chris was able to recover and shrug it off like it wasn't that much of a big deal. All he's shown was him being really strong but taking a blow like that was something different. Chris was definitely no normal person and Claire knew it with the way he fights, and how he could handle zombies and other creatures fairly easily. They needed to get out of here and away from this monster. It was still marching straight at them again. Chris stood up, staring at the tall thing and feeling a bit dazed.

"Chris! We need to go!" Claire panicked.

"Get back!"

Chris lifted Claire with one hand and tossed her out of the way as he got grabbed by the trench man. Claire aimed her grenade launcher but hesitated, afraid that she might hit Chris in the process. However, if she doesn't do something, this thing will kill him. She then changed to her SLS-60 and fired six shots, but unfortunately, they weren't fazing the giant as the bullets were being deflected off his tough skin. He completely ignored the shots, showing that it wasn't even hurt in the slightest. She still kept shooting until she needed to reload, but it was still doing nothing. Claire was worried sick, not knowing what to do.

Chris was actually struggling as the giant's grip was unreal. This thing was by far the strongest creature he had to go up against whilst having no powers. _Again, if I had my powers, this trench-coat guy would literally be 'less than nothing.'_ That thought wasn't an exaggeration at all. Yes, that guy was superhumanly strong, being able to lift a helicopter but Chris, as Superman II, was able to lift things like planes, ships, buildings, pyramids, mountains, just to name a few. Superman is even stronger, being able shift tectonic plates and move, or even shatter moon-sized asteroids without much trouble.

Chris ignored these thoughts and had to face the reality. Sure, his denser body tissue and skinsuit allowed him to take the punch but how will he be able to break free? He could see Claire still shooting at the trench man, but no damage is being done. It was apparently bullet-proof. That other creature that they fought just after meeting Sherry was weaker and easier than this guy. This thing was like an impenetrable wall compared to humans, probably about as strong as an average water-empowered Atlantean from his world.

 _Think Chris, you are Superman II. You're a Kryptonian, whether you have powers or not. Think...! You can't let it end here... Remember what you've learnt... Remember your_ _training..._ Chris closed his eyes and tried to focus.

**_\- August 4, 2017. New Fortress of Solitude, Arctic. Earth-Prime -_ **

_Nineteen-year-old Christopher Kent walked around the simulation room inside the Fortress of Solitude and sighed, a little_ _on edge. Inside the simulation room, it shone red lights, which were in fact red solar radiation projection lamps. Even the air in the room felt different; it was Kryptonian air._

_“You ready to begin?” Superman asked from the main crystal console._

_"Yeah... I think so." Chris nodded. "Torquasm-Rao... how hard can this be? I learned the basics already."_

_Superman pressed a crystal. “I changed the atmosphere to be that of Krypton's. Remember, you don't have your powers."_

_A holographic physical projection of Nam-Ek showed and advanced towards Chris. Nam-Ek was a Kryptonian from General_ _Zod’s army that Superman had defeated years ago. He stood almost nine feet tall and was huge. The faux Nam-Ek leapt_ _a_ _nd did a large punch with Chris dodging to side and countering with a flurry of well-placed punches. As Nam-Ek tried to_ _lunge again, but Chris is able to deflect the blow to the side while crouching and landing a kick behind his knees,_ _staggering him. The fight went on as Chris was actually handling himself quite well until... He is grabbed by Nam-Ek by the_ _face… Chris remembered that under Kryptonian atmospherics, the solar energy that he stored has been flushed out; he had to do this the right way so his closed his eyes and focused._

 _There was a technique to get out of this; perform a well-placed strike at the opponent’s elbow joint then shift your body w_ e _ight and perform a double kick. This has to be done very quickly in order for the opponent to release you..._

_**\- Now -** _

_No... I can't die here, I need to help Claire, Sherry and Leon. I promised not to let them down... Not here… Not now… Not ever… They need me..._

Chris thought about his Kryptonian heritage, his adoptive parents and little brother, friends, Superman, The Justice League and Team Flash. All of them were important things and people in his life. Yes, this includes Leon, Claire and Sherry whom he had just met. As he felt the hands of the big paled man going for his neck, he was centering himself, focusing all the limited Kryptonian strength he had. His eyes narrowed in anger, desperation and determination as he grabbed the thing's wrist. He was able to twist and crush it, making the large man groan in pain. He then struck the joint above its elbow then followed with a double kick to the neck. He let Chris go which gave him the opportunity to catch his breath. Claire watched and was amazed that Chris was still alive.

Chris prepared to use his skills in Toquasm-Rao, while focusing some strength in his legs. The trench-coat man recovered, ready to go after him again. Chris charged at it at great speed, performing a number of quick punches, strikes and sequences. He was striking the giant all over its body, keeping it off balance and not giving it a chance to react. 

Claire couldn't believe what she was seeing. _Being very strong, ripping car doors, bending metal,_ _taking on zombies and even that mutated creature was one thing. No one could ever dream to do that, but taking on an unstoppable_ _giant thing and actually hurt it? This was new. This was something more..._

Chris continued his overwhelming onslaught of unarmed attacks, until he stabbed the thing right in its chest with the combat knife. He performed a judo-like maneuver and flipped the trench guy, then threw it back a dozen meters away. He wasn't done yet, though, as he ran at full speed and leapt into a drop-kick, channeling his strength into his legs. It connected and hit the giant straight in the chest and was sent flying back at great speed, all the way to the wall of the building. The body crashed through the brick wall and the chopper it moved before felt right on him.

Chris was panting to catch his breath but he stood triumphantly, just like Superman. Claire had certainly saw everything, in shock and utter disbelief. She just witnessed that Chris was able to beat the crap out of that thing; the same thing that moved the chopper like it was nothing. How can a person be this strong and fast? It was so unreal; this was just getting weirder and weirder.

 _I actually did it.._. He smiled. _I really did it._ T _orquasm-Rao had paid off. Who said a Kryptonian was nothing without their powers?_

"Never mess with a Kryptonian." Chris taunted as if he were talking to the trench-coat guy.

"Chris?" Claire walked over to him, clearly still shocked and bewildered. "How... That- what was- how did you..."

"I- ... You must be asking yourself a lot of questions..." He gave a nervous chuckle. He really didn't know how to explain what he just did.

"Chris...?" Claire said in a soft, broken voice, remaining in shock.

Chris then turned the direction Claire was staring at and saw that the chopper was thrown off yet again. The big man was back on his feet and his face had some scratches, bruises and blood but his trench coat was in one piece.

"What...?" That was all Chris can say.

He couldn't believe it. After that serious beating; after everything he did, that thing should be dead. There was no logical explanation for it to still be alive and it was standing as if nothing happened. So not only was it strong but also very tough, or, practically impossible to kill. So many thoughts ran through his head and retreating was one of them. Bullets, flame rounds and explosions didn't hurt it. That thing is invincible. There will be no point if he re-engaged and do what he just did because if he keeps beating it, it will only keep coming back. 

Chris came to the conclusion that the only real way to permanently kill it was if he had his powers. Heat vision, freeze breath, a casual punch among others would certainly destroy it, or the most _"humane"_ way would be simply throwing it into space. But now, that was just it; they shouldn't even attempt to fight it. This only left them with only one option. Run. Chris signaled Claire to run in order to try and get past it because it moved slow enough and they might be able to outrun it. Chris didn't forget about the gear he dropped so he picked it up, knowing that they'll need it eventually. They returned to the corridor where the chopper crashed as they could still hear the loud footsteps coming from the trench coat man. 

* * *

As they continued to run, they entered the waiting room that leads to the main hall. Climbing down the stairs, they were back to where they bid farewell to Marvin. He was seated on the sofa and wasn't moving. Sadly, his face has now changed color, resembling a zombie. However, they knew this was going to happen but it was also a miracle that he lasted this long and it was no surprise he got up as a zombie.

"Oh god, Marvin... No..." Claire reluctantly pointed her gun but Chris stopped her.

Chris felt that it would be better if he was the one to set Marvin free and end his suffering. Just as zombie Marvin grabbed him, he took his combat knife and stabbed its head. 

"I'm sorry... Marvin..." Chris had his head down in remorse.

After killing it, Chris carried the body and placed it back on the same sofa. He covered it with one of the blankets from the medical area. Honestly, Marvin deserved better than this. He and Claire didn't really know him that much but they could tell he was a good man and a good cop. Chris held a minute of silence, but they were rudely interrupted by loud footsteps coming from the second floor. The footsteps were getting louder and louder. Looking around, Chris spotted a large enough box near the receptionist's desk which might be able to fit them both.

"Wait, get in there quickly! It might just work!" Chris whispered to Claire, pointing at the box.

Claire merely raised an eyebrow but still went with the seemingly crazy idea. They opened the large box near the reception desk and got in, closing it. It wasn't overly big, but it was enough to fit the two of them. However, their bodies were very close and their faces were inches away. This was not a comfortable position to be in, but there wasn't much choice and it was too late as they've made that decision. After a long minute, they could tell that the giant was so close since its footsteps were very loud.

Claire controlled her breathing while Chris held his breath. Even in his powerless state, he could still hold his breath much longer than humans. A Kryptonian's lung capacity was greater due to the fact that all their internal organs and arteries were considerably larger. Chris knew that he could hold his breath indefinitely when empowered by a yellow sun, but this was still better than nothing. He couldn't risk making _any_ sound whatsoever. 

They were indeed in an awkward position and Chris knew that this was in fact embarrassing, especially since he's never been _that_ close to a girl. Although it was dark inside, Claire noticed that Chris getting flustered and pretending he wasn't embarrassed. She wanted to laugh, but she knew she couldn't, remembering why they were hiding in the first place. Soon, the footsteps were so loud as that thing was next to the large box. That's when Claire continued to control her breathing and Chris still held his breath; he hasn't even taken one breath since they've hid in that box. Seconds passed, maybe minutes and there was just dead silence. It was probably looking around for them, but soon, they heard the heavy footsteps finally leaving. 

It sounded like it was going up the stairs and entering a door. Once they heard the sound of the door closing, both gave a sigh of relief. Looking at Claire, she nodded, wanting him to open the box and check if it was really gone. Chris slowly opened it and there was no sign of it anywhere.

"Coast is clear... Guess it went back to where we last were." Chris said as he got out from the box.

"Zombies, dogs and lickers I can take anytime, but that thing, none of our weapons were hurting it. It's like it's completely invincible. I wonder where that thing came from." Claire followed leaving the box.

“Well, it's certainly following us, but I don't know why. We'll have to be extra careful when we find the other part... Also, remember that there could be more zombies and lickers in the station, so we still have to watch out for them too."

Claire just remained silent.

"What's wrong?" Chris frowned.

"You were able to take on that thing straight on... You even beat it..."

"It's still alive though. I don't think it can be killed by physical force. It probably might need something a lot stronger."

"But you were able to fight and hurt it with your bare hands. That thing is unstoppable and no normal person would be able to take it on... the way you did. You also took two explosions, three bullets and a punch from that thing to protect me... and yet, you're still standing... like nothing happened."

Chris had anticipated that this was going to happen after Claire had seen him fighting. Especially, when he used his skills in Kryptonian martial arts and pushed his strength to the limit against that trench coat guy.

"Claire, I-I get it... You think I'm... weird... different."

"I don't think you're weird. I know you're really strong but surviving explosions, getting shot and fighting something that moved a chopper with one hand? How the fuck do you expect me to react?"

"Listen, Claire... If I tell you the real truth, you'll never believe me... You will think I'm crazy." Chris had a sorrowful look on his face.

"We're in the middle of a city crawling with goddamn zombies, dogs, freaking lickers and now, some super strong trench coat wearing freak. Why  
don't you just try me?"

"Even in a world like this, you really won't believe me."

"Chris, I trust you but after what I've seen from you... ever since we first met... I'm having a hard time doing so."

"I want to help you... I want to help Sherry, I want to help Leon- There's still hope."

"I know and I don't doubt you. Just tell me; Who are you Chris? Where are you _really_ from?"

Chris gave a sigh, then nodded. "Okay fine, I'll tell you. I don’t want to lose your trust, but don't say that I didn't warn you."

* * *

So Chris told Claire everything.

"Alright, where to start... It's a really long story but I... I'm from an alternate universe and the year 2020. I come from really far away- I come from a planet called Krypton. A planet that is larger than Earth and had a much harsher environment. It orbited a red sun, or more accurately, a red giant named Rao. My people were called the Kryptonians. Physically, we resembled humans but we were an advanced race with advanced weapons and advanced technology... The difference from humans is that our internal organs are much larger and our bones and tissue are extremely denser because we have been adapted to a much stronger gravity... Long ago, in an era of expansion, the Kryptonian race spread out through the cosmos, seeking new worlds to settle upon and there were thousands of scout ships launched into the void. They built colonial outposts on other planets, using advanced machines to reshape environments to their needs. For 100,000 years, their civilization flourished, accomplishing wonders... Eventually, artificial population control was established and the outposts on space exploration were abandoned. They exhausted all of Krypton's natural resources and as a result, the planet's core became unstable. Krypton was no more and our race became pretty much extinct..."

Claire only stood still, not saying a word but continued to listen. Chris noticed but continued.

"My parents, somehow knew Krypton will be destroyed and as an infant, they sent me away to Earth to ensure my survival. There was another named Kal-El, who also survived and was sent away by his parents to Earth as well, but he made it long before I did. Unfortunately, my pod was knocked off course into the Phantom Zone, a place where time never passed and I was put in suspended animation for nearly twenty years... But my pod eventually escaped and resumed course to Earth. It landed in an empty cornfield in Steadworth, Southern California and shortly after, a young farming couple found me and soon adopted me, raising me as their own son and gave me the name Christopher. When I was fourteen, they later had a son for themselves and that's my younger brother. He's the one I mentioned earlier when we were with Sherry, before going up to the parking lot... Anyway, back to when I was an infant, my adoptive parents knew right away, that I was... different... so we all had to keep everything a secret. But the biggest part? Earth's yellow sun is younger and brighter than Krypton's was... Right from when I arrived, every cell in my body has drunken the sun's radiation... strengthening my muscles, my skin, my senses... Earth's gravity is weaker, yet its atmosphere is more nourishing. In other words, I've developed powers far beyond than anyone could ever imagine and have gotten stronger as I grew older. I had to learn how to control them during those years but it wasn't easy. When empowered by the yellow sun, I was unfathomably strong, fast, virtually invulnerable... When I was around sixteen, I met Kal, the other survivor, but he was already an adult and Earth's most powerful hero. We eventually formed some sort of a kinship and started teaching me about where I come from and how to use my powers. When I was seventeen, he taught me how to fly just like he can... He became my mentor and I became his protégé. Years later, I too, became one of Earth's greatest heroes. More recently, though... a few hours ago... I was fighting a super-powerful adaptive android named A.M.A.Z.O. He had to the power to replicate anyone's physiology by scanning them and in turn, copies their abilities. It eventually copied mine but I still managed to weaken and destroy it by exerting my full power. However, doing so cost me. I ended up completely spending all the solar energy I absorbed, leaving me powerless. I blacked out and next thing I know, I wake up outside this city... without a clue of how I got here... I knew I won't be able to get my powers back until at least sunrise, in which my cells can recharge from the solar energy given by Earth's yellow sun...  I walked to the gas station, then I met you, then Leon... So yeah, it's a lot to take in, but it's true..."

Chris decided not to tell her anything about more on Superman, Zod, Battle of Metropolis, Fortress of Solitude, the Justice League, Team Flash, Kryptonian martial arts, dimensional travel, the multiverse just to name a few things. He really didn't want to complicate things even further.

* * *

When Chris finished telling his story, he waited for her reaction. Claire just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at him with wide eyes which were just blinking and her jaw was open. _Yeah, I don't think she believes me. Just what I thought in the first place._ _Why would I even bother? I know was telling the absolute truth the entire time._  Chris just closed his eyes and let out another sigh, escaping his mouth. Since this was indeed an alternate 'Earth' where no superheroes existed, then no one would believe him in this world.

"Go ahead, say it. I'm crazy. I'm insane... I really don't mind... I can tell you don't believe me."

"I think... You're batshit crazy..."

"See, I knew you'd say something like that. Not surprising... I did warn you though."

"So you're this thing called a Kryptonian? Like you said... You're an alien?"

"If you don't believe me, then why ask me? But the answer is yes to that question... or a way of putting it." Chris was sweating and his heart was beating very fast, obviously nervous.

"I may not believe you in the slightest but I can still trust you- I can still count on you to have my back."

" _Soooo_ , you don’t mind if I still tag along with you?"

"Sure! Why not? You're still my friend and make one helluva partner!"

"Thank you, Claire." Chris nodded and gave a grin.

* * *

 

There was absolutely no way in hell Claire was going to believe his crazy ass story but she still hasn't forgotten where they were, what they needed to do and not to mention, finding Sherry and getting that fat bastard Irons. Focusing back at the task at hand and with the diamond and heart key in their possession, they should be able to open the doors in this area that has those shape locks. That is, if trenchy doesn't find them again, hopefully. Remembering the repair note in the antiques room, it mentioned another electronic part being in the clock tower which was their next destination.

They went back to the west office where Leon's desk was, then entered a room where there was a locked door with a 'heart' icon. By now, they have done their best to memorize the map of the police station. Claire opened the door using the key and the new room that stood before them had piles of books and files everywhere. On a table, they took something that looked like a jack handle, knowing they might need it in future. Indeed, Chris could have sworn he saw a jack missing a handle. The jack was under a bookshelf back at the library and hopefully, this was the handle for it. 

Claire found a hand grenade next to a file cabinet, so she took it and resumed their search of the room. At the end of the room, there was a photocopier and next to it was a door with the lock in the shape of a green clover. Unfortunately, that was the only key they didn't have at the moment. Trench coat guy was another new reason why Chris didn't want to break down any doors. They will have to backtrack to the library and try the jack handle out. Suddenly, they froze and looked at each other upon hearing familiar loud footsteps heading their way; he has found them already.

It was too late as the large man burst through the door, so Claire reacted by throwing a flash grenade. They covered their eyes while the giant was blinded for a few seconds. They took advantage to pass around him and head out of the room. They ignored any zombies that were still around when they headed back to the main hall. On their way, they went up the stairs to the second floor and found themselves on the upper level of the library. They were about to cross to the other side when the wooden floor boards gave away and broke down, both falling a few meters to the ground. Chris wasn't hurt as he landed on his back and fortunately, Claire fell on top of him, which broke her fall. 

Chris' eyes widened as he got quickly up, seeing more zombies heading their way. There was just no end to them. He checked on Claire but she was alright. Looking up at the large hole in the floor, they will not be able to make their way to the other side, which is where they haven't been yet. Chris knew that he can easily jump that gap but not Claire, and there was no way he was going to leave her behind. One zombie grabbed Chris but he countered by holding it back, snapping its neck and throwing it like a bowling ball into more zombies. Claire fired more flame rounds from her grenade launcher on the others. 

They saw the large bookshelves and the one with the jack under it. The jack handle should be able to fit the hole in order to remove it from underneath the bookshelf. They looked at the a large hole on the floor they broke, but if they can somehow move all of the bookshelves in a straight line. It will make the perfect path for them to cross over risk free. Unfortunately, there was no time to think it through as more zombies showed up. Claire put the handle in the jack, removing the contraption from under the bookshelf and allowing it to land on the ground. They needed to move all of them now, but as Chris volunteered to do the honors, things got more complicated as loud footsteps headed their way. The trench coat man was coming for them again.

Chris went on to take out any remaining zombies in hopes of making life easier but it won't be so easy as long as that thing is around. His handgun or knife wasn't going to help when means that he had to fight it in close quarters again, like he had before. Trench man busted through door from the first floor, marching directly at them.

"Okay... Claire, you move the bookshelves, and I'll deal with the big guy."

"Got it, and be careful... Here, use these." Claire nodded while giving him a flash and hand grenade.

"Thanks, those might be helpful."

Chris quickly used the flash grenade to blind the trench giant. He jumped and landed a hard punch on the head then followed with a few more rapid strikes around the body, staggering it. Once more, he focused his strength on his arms and legs. If that thing was invincible and unstoppable, then all he needed to do was to buy Claire some time. The giant tried to grab him by the neck, but he saw this coming and easily dodges. 

"Ha! You missed." Chris taunted. 

Chris countered by stabbing his knife in the arm and took the blade out again, before unleashing a flurry of punches, hand strikes and even using the large gear he was carrying as a weapon. Chris then threw the gear like a frisbee, hitting it in the head before jumped and shoving the hand grenade in its mouth. He took a step back, getting some distance as the grenade exploded. Unlike normal zombies, the trench guy's sturdy face remained intact from the  explosion but it still made him fall on one knee, showing that he was stunned. This was Chris' opportunity. Focusing strength on his legs, he ran at full speed and drop-kicked the tall paled man a second time, even harder than before. He sent him flying away, crashing through the wall of the library. Hopefully this time, it will take longer before it recovers again.

"I'm done!" Claire called out.

"Wow, that was perfect timing!" Chris smiled back as he picked up the gear he had thrown. 

* * *

 

They climbed up the stairs and crossed over the bridge of bookshelves which Claire moved, not wanting to wait for the relentless trench giant to recover. Entering the door on their right, the exited into another square corridor similar to the one at the main hall. The only noticeable difference was that is that it was dark, not being lit at all. Using the flashlight, the duo walked carefully making sure there aren't any zombies or creatures around. There was one police zombie hiding at a corner, waiting to get the jump on them but it failed as Claire fired her gun, shooting it twice in the head. 

They entered a dark room and checked the map again, finding themselves in the clock tower. This is where they should find the last electronic part for the  steel pen's control panel. Chris spotted a piece of paper on a round table, so he went to pick it up. Showing it to Claire, it was about the clock tower.

_**Repair Plan** _

_Location: Police station west side clock tower_

_Due to the high cultural value of the bell, I'm calling a specialist to make the repairs. Will go over the details once they're on the_  
_scene, but in the meantime, I'll take steps to secure the bell since the yoke is threatening to break._

"Unfortunately, they never had the chance to repair it." Chris remarked.

"Hey, look over there."

Claire walked over to a mechanism panel with two gears and in the middle, was a hole where something could be put there. Chris still had the large gear with them so he handed it over to Claire. Putting the large gear in, it lowered a wooden staircase down which led up to a higher level. Claire took the gear back, thinking they might need it again. Knowing that the stairs will lead them somewhere, they climbed up without hesitation. It led them to another mechanism of gears. Claire found and picked up a much smaller gear, also knowing that they might have use for it. In the same spot where the small gear was, she put the large gear in.

They realized they were following simple logic and it wasn't that hard to figure out. The gears were now moving as they could hear the sound of the clock tower working. Going back down, they spotted a machine with a panel and a small hole. It was obvious that the small gear would fit inside the grooves. When Claire put the small gear in, it started spinning with the rest of the mechanism. With all of the gears currently moving and working, the clock soon struck 3 o'clock and sounds of the bell tolling followed. 

The movement of the bell destroyed some wooden planks and familiar looking orange box fell to the floor. Eventually, the bell itself fell off too.

"That worked." Claire remarked.

"Sure did."

Picking up the box, she opened it. It was another electronic part, which was exactly what they need and were one step closer to saving Sherry. All they needed to do now, was go back to the private collection room next to the chief's office. As they left the room of the clock tower, Claire gasped while Chris just rolled his eyes in annoyance as they saw the trench coat guy at the end of the corridor. He was after them yet again. As they ran, there was another zombie but Chris just threw it over the railing, sending it plummeting to the main hall. They reached the other side of the corridor and Claire opened the sliding lock of another door. 

It led them back in the east storage room which means they weren't that far from they needed to go. They continued to run, passing through corridors and hallways and going through one door after another. They could still hear the loud footsteps coming from afar which meant it was still following them. They soon found themselves in an observation room of some sort. On a table, something has caught their eye. It was a blue box with two red jewels on each side. Chris looked at the box closely and saw the large hole in the middle, making it obvious that something definitely goes there and seeing the other red jewels, it gave him an idea.

"Claire, do you still have that red jewel? You know the one you took from the statue in the art room?"

"Yeah." She took it from one of her hip pouches.

"I think it goes in here."

Claire nodded in agreement, putting the red jewel in the middle of the bejeweled box, fitting in perfectly. Shortly, they heard a small click and were able to open the box. Its contents were a badge, not just any badge but a S.T.A.R.S. badge. Claire examined it before seeing something odd behind the badge. There was a slide switch and she pulled it up. It revealed something very common to them, or most accurately, everyday people.

"It's a USB. The badge is a flash drive... Whatever was on it would have been worth hiding." Chris noted.

"I have a pretty good idea where it goes. Looks like we'll be heading back to the S.T.A.R.S office."

"Of course, the computer... The window said something about needing USB authentication so this one might be able to open the armory."

"We'll be getting some new weapons... We'll be needing them... Especially you."

Chris heard the heavy footsteps again. "And that thing's coming back... as per usual."

"Can we ever get a break? That thing doesn't know when to quit."

* * *

 

^ The duo encounter Mr. X for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Rescue Mission


	13. The Rescue Mission

As they continued to run, more zombies emerged but the duo were able to avoid them. However, the trench coat giant was swatting and punching aside anything that got in its way; zombies and even a licker got attacked by this tall figure. Nonetheless, it didn't change the fact that it was still after them as Chris and Claire are its main targets. Now, it seemed like they have traveled all the three floors of the police station which meant that they mostly know their way without getting lost.

After running nonstop, through rooms and corridors, they were eventually able to lose the trench man once again; for now. They still ran and didn't take a minute to catch their breath. They needed to get to the S.T.A.R.S office now. Claire reloaded her weapons before taking the path that will lead them to their destination. They were hoping to find some stronger weapons that might help them against their latest enemy. If it can't be killed, they could at least stall it. Still, their prime objective hasn't changed as their priority was finding Sherry. In Claire's mind, she wanted to get revenge on Irons and make him pay, as she'll never forgive this man. 

On their way, they got away from more zombies that were around but once again started to hear familiar loud footsteps. It could be safe to assume that this thing wasn't going to give up until he catches and kills them. Reaching the corridor where the S.T.A.R.S office is, there were only a few more zombies so Chris handled the situation by stabbing their heads with the knife.

They finally arrived to the S.T.A.R.S. office, and ran up to the main desktop computer which was connected to the lock of the armory. Claire inserted the badge's USB connector in one of the USB ports on the computer's hard drive. On the screen, a window popped up again, checking the identification account and it was correct. The window changed to a message displaying 'OK. Releasing lock' and the door to the armory opened.

When they entered, there was a MAC-10 submachine gun along with the appropriate ammo next to it. Chris went to check the lockers and found another weapon. Looking at it, it was obviously a shotgun. There were also shotgun shells next to it. The other locker had more handgun ammo, another had flame rounds and the last one had a hip pouch. Chris took the pouch as he knew that his current set might not be enough in the long run. He didn't know about taking the shotgun, though, since using weapons still wasn't his thing. Claire has already taken the submachine gun and loaded the ammo before she took the flame rounds. She really looked like she was ready to kill, but then again, she always was.

Claire glanced at the other weapon. "That's a Remington R12 pump-action shot gun. It features a self-adjusting, short-stroke, dual piston gas operating system for enhanced versatility and reliability with a broad range of loadings. In other words, very good for blowing up zombie heads."

Chris looked and raised an eyebrow. "You sure know a lot about guns."

"My brother didn't just teach me how to use weapons. He told me everything there is to know about them."

"Um... I still don't know..." Chris said, looking back at the shotgun. He was unsure if he should use it but then again, he knew that his usual morals and principles can't really apply to undead and unreasonable creatures.

"If you're taking it, remember it's completely different than your handgun. The recoil is a lot stronger so you'll need some getting used to, but  
I don't think it will much of an issue for you though."

"Okay, I guess I'll take it... I'll use it for emergencies only." Chris then took the weapon out along with the ammunition for it.

Claire looked around. "I'd say we're ready to leave this place behind."

"Let's go. We need to go back to the antiques room near the chief's office." Chris nodded.

After Chris took the shot gun, there was also a strap to carry the weapon on the back so he also took it, putting it on. He admitted that it and the other pouches he was wearing really didn't suit his current outfit at all.

Suddenly, loud footsteps were heard again and they knew what this meant. The door to the office was reduced to splinters as the giant entered, marching straight towards them. He even knocked numerous chairs, desks and tables away.

Speaking of emergencies, this counted as one. Chris decided to load the shells in his new shot gun and try it out, knowing that it'll be more powerful than a handgun. Not to mention that shotguns were super effective in close range. Claire dodged a punch from the trench man, taking the opportunity to run past him but she looked back at Chris, confused on what he was waiting for. When the giant got close enough, Chris pulled the trigger and shot it in the head, causing the monster to stagger and pause. Chris then followed and ran off with Claire out the doorway.

* * *

Several minutes later, they finally arrived at the chief's office and went through the corridor that led back to the private collection room. As they approached the locked cell door of the steel pen, Claire put the two electronic parts in the panel. They needed to connect both cables of the electronic parts to the other part, in order for the lock to be released.

"Let me do it. I'm good at these." Chris volunteered, since he was familiar with electronics and circuit boards.

Thirty seconds later, Chris was able to solve the puzzle. He didn't super-speed for this. The two cables connected with the other part, charging the electricity and soft sound was heard as the lock was finally released.

Claire let out a breath of relief. "That would've taken me ages to do."

Claire pressed the button and opened the door, while Chris followed inside. He then took the key card from the coat hanger and handed it to Claire.

"We have it... Now we can get out of this place." He looked at Claire while she nodded back.

Suddenly, the ringing of a telephone sounded. Upon hearing it, they turned to the landline telephone which was the source but they didn't know who it could be. They weren't expecting any phone calls, especially at this time. Claire then turned to her right and looked up at the upper corner of the room; there was a security camera. This means that someone was watching them and she had a good feeling of who it could be.

Claire picked up the phone and put in on loudspeaker. "Hello...?"

_*Good to see you again, Claire.*_

Chris heard and easily recognized that voice. It was unmistakably Chief Irons, but why would he be calling them? Nonetheless, he remained silent and let Claire do the talking.

_*We've got unfinished business.*_

"What are you talking about?"

_*Don't waste my fucking time! Bring me the pendant or Sherry dies!*_

Chris' eyes widened in a mix of shock and anger upon hearing this. _Was he actually being serious? Or was he just bluffing?_ He also noticed that Irons was referring to the necklace Sherry was wearing before he took her.  _But why would he want that?_

"The pendant? What do you need it for?" Claire took it out from one of her pockets and looked at it. She saw that it had Sherry's name engraved on it.

_*Do you want the girl to die?*_

"No, wait! Don't do anything... Fine, I'll do it. Where are you?" Claire complied.

Again, Chris wanted to know what was so special about the pendant. He didn't have his X-ray vision so he had no idea, but it seems like that the chief is obsessed with it. For whatever reason, neither of them had any idea.

_*The orphanage.*_

"The orphanage? Where's that?"

_*In the neighborhood. You'll find it.*_

"Is Sherry all right?"

_*For now…*_

"I swear you bastard, if you hurt her-"

The conversation had ended as an off-hook tone sounded. After Claire tried to threaten Irons, he had instantly hung up, not wanting to continue the conversation any further. 

"Are you serious...?" Claire muttered.

"Something tells me that he isn't willing to play nice." Chris stated bluntly.

"That fat son of a bitch is going to pay."

"My gut feeling tells me that he wasn't bluffing... But if he does kill Sherry, that would be just cold-blooded, heartless and low... even for him."

"I fucking hope not." Claire sounded pissed.

"And he's the best at giving directions." Chris added sarcastically. "How on earth are we supposed to find the orphanage if we've never even set foot in this city?"

"I don't get it though, why is he so interested in this pendant?" Claire wondered as she put it back in one of her pockets.

"I'm not sure. Your guess is just as good as mine... But I say we give it to him if it saves Sherry's life. It's not like we have another choice."

* * *

 

Now that Claire has the key card, they can finally leave the station and they knew exactly where to go. Well, not exactly, but they still have a destination. _If that bastard wanted the pendant for Sherry's life, he can have it._   _All that matters is to save that girl_. Claire thought as they made their way. They had already left the room, heading back to the office and taking the express elevator down. 

They returned to the parking garage and leaving the police station into the open means that they will be facing hordes of zombies, undead animals, and possibly lickers as well. After looking around, the parking garage seemed like it was clear of any trouble. Before using the key card, Claire remembered they had that bent key for that police car ‘7439’ so she pressed the button and the car made a sound, signifying that it was unlocked. She opened the trunk and there was a JMB Hp3 police handgun inside. It looked better and stronger than her own gun so she took it. As for her SLS-60, she put it in the trunk and closed it. Seemed like a fair trade.

Now ready to go, they walked over to the payment terminal and Claire inserted the key card into the slot. The card reader's LED light lit green and the small screen showed 'OK.' The gate started opening slowly but their victory was short-lived as the trench coat giant showed up once again, just when they were about to leave. The gate was taking too long to open so Claire shot at it with her new handgun while Chris goaded it into chasing him, in order to stall and keep it occupied. The giant swung at Chris with his large fists but he was able to dodge them easily.

"Does that thing ever die!?" Claire practically shouted.

At last, the gate fully opened so they made a run for it. They ran all the way into the streets, but of course, it was no different from when they first arrived in the city. As they continued to run down the streets, the tall trench man was still following them, which gave them no choice but to keep going without stopping. Claire certainly felt that this was very tiring since they've been doing this for what seemed like hours. On their left and past some crashed cars, there was a locked gate beside the footpath. There were two zombies on the other side, until one of them tore it down.

"Claire, look. Through here." Chris pointed.

He saw this and hoped that it would be another path, as well as hoping to lose the unrelenting trench giant. There was a zombie on the ground and Chris killed it with his knife, stabbing the head. They went through the opened gate and going down the path, there was a steel staircase in front of them. As they climbed up, it leads them to a railing and straight path. They even passed a large billboard of an Umbrella advertisement which had a photograph of a man, wife and two kids smiling. Chris just briefly stared at it as he ran. They could no longer hear the large footsteps, which was a good sign.

"Seems like the only way forward." Claire commented.

The railing then ended with staircase that went back down to ground level. Upon reaching the bottom, there was a female zombie so Chris reacted by grabbing and throwing it to the other side of the tall fence in front of them. Climbing over an industrial bin, the path eventually led them to another alleyway and an opened gate in front. Exiting the gate, they ended up in a parking lot that belonged to a warehouse. There was a large barricade and more cars piled up. As they entered the parking lot, there were three zombie dogs, ready to attack. A large St. Bernard jumped on the roof of a car as Claire fired a couple of shots. It charged at Chris but he was able to punch it away, sending it flying into a car. Claire finished it off with a headshot. The second zombie dog, being a black Labrador, was also taken out by Claire as she shot it down. Lastly, another Doberman came rushing in and jumped at Chris, but he saw this coming and clotheslined it into the ground before Claire finished it off with another headshot.

After taking care of the undead hounds, the duo went into the basketball court. For some strange reason, there was some submachine gun ammo on a bench but Claire still took it anyway since it had a hundred rounds inside. Claire reloaded her JMB handgun on their way out of the court. When they opened the gate of the exit, an undead Husky charged at Claire. Chris reacted by punching it away, protecting her. Claire then took the opportunity to fire at it, killing it. Chris was relieved that he was able to react quickly. All thanks to his superior strength and Kryptonian physiology which had allowed him survive this without his powers.

Moving on, there were a vast amount of cars piled up along with more barricades which made it even more difficult to know where they were going. They still didn't have a single clue where the orphanage might be, especially when Irons gave them absolutely no directions whatsoever. It really looked like there was nowhere else to go, but they still had to keep going regardless. As they continued walking the streets of what was left of Raccoon City, they reached a dead end since there was a roadblock of cars. On the other side, they couldn't see what there was since it was still so dark. Chris saw a bus with the doors opened and just maybe, they can cross through safely using the vehicle. 

Chris took the lead upon entering the bus, and of course, there were two zombies inside. He took out his handgun since he hasn't used it in a while and fired at its head, killing it in three shots. When Claire finished off the other one, she picked up a hand grenade on one of the seats. This was certainly an odd place to find one, but she still took it anyway. As they left the bus from the door of the other end, they managed to get across but are met by more piled-up vehicles. They knew this was going to happen and it looks like that they will have to find another way around. 

* * *

 

After looking around, Chris found one path they could possibly take. He jumped over couple of cars and saw an entrance that led straight ahead into an alleyway; this was their only choice. Claire followed by climbing on the bonnets of the cars in order to catch up to him. It was a bit dark so Claire took the flashlight and turned it on. Unsurprisingly, there were more barricades, oil barrels, garbage and litter lying around. When Chris looked back, there was a crashed pickup truck inside the wall of a broken down KFC joint across the other street. The good news was that there were no more signs of any zombies, dogs and the trench coat stalker. They really could use a breather. Unfortunately, the flashlight suddenly turned off. Claire tried gently tapping it on the palm of her hand to try and get it to work, but to no avail.

"That's not good..." Chris commented.

"The battery's dead." 

They decided to stick closer to one another, now that they could barely see a thing. As they continued walking slowly in the dark, they started talking.

"I wonder how long it will take to reach that orphanage. I hope it's not far." Claire started.

"Me too. I'm worried about Sherry... I hope she's alright." 

"She is. She's gotta be. That bastard is only keeping her hostage until we give him the pendant.”

"I still don't know why he wants it so bad... I mean, he went so far to kidnap her.”

"Like you said, he can have it. Then we'll get Sherry back."

"We need to get to her ASAP... If we can find a nearest convenience store, we should be able to get some batteries."

Claire gave a nod as they left the alley and were out in another street. Although it was deserted, there were a small number of places that still had power, unlike most of the places they've passed. Suddenly, the of sound of gunfire caught their attention. They both looked at each other in surprise. _Is it possible that there were more survivors? Maybe or, best case scenario is that it could be Leon._  

The gunfire was coming from a distance so they decided to follow the sounds. The duo went straight ahead, into a corner to the right and passed a department store. Without wasting any time, they ran through past another corner as the gun fire was getting louder. Claire took out her handgun and Chris did the same. Among the sound of flames, there was another unmistakable sound; growling and groaning. They knew those were definitely zombies all right. Someone, or, a survivor must in trouble and they hoped they could get in time to help whoever it was. They took another turn and went into through a grocery store called 'GIANT Food Stores.' That's where the gun fire was coming from, along with a horde of zombies. 

The sound of the shotgun was blasting the head of a zombie. As walked further down the isles of the grocery store, Chris and Claire saw the person who was in trouble. It was a man looking in his late thirties or early forties with grizzled hair, blue eyes and a short beard. He was wearing a black and yellow checkered long sleeve shirt, a thick belt with many water and survival canteens and long green cargo pants with brown work boots. Next to the man were a couple of large plastic bags with canned food, dried microwave food and bottled water. He was most likely trying to restock on food and supplies. There was a number of zombies around and it looks like he wasn't going to last much longer. Chris nodded at Claire and she nodded back; they knew what they had to do.

The man briefly took a glance, seeing two people coming to help him. He took the chance to reload his shot gun and blew another zombie's brains out. The two then arrived next to him, providing cover fire. At that moment, Claire noticed that Chris' aim was getting even better and was handling a handgun surprisingly well. The man seemed grateful for they had come to his aid and was hoping they weren't planning to steal the supplies he had gathered. Observing them, it seems like they were more concerned for his safety than his grocery bags, so it could be considered as a good sign.

"Follow me." The man told the duo as he put away his weapons and grabbed his bags of supplies.

Chris and Claire kept on firing at the zombies while running off at the same time. They seemed to have escaped to safety since there weren't any more of zombies in sight. Reaching a dead end, the trio spotted more zombies undead dogs jumping from a railing, surrounding them. Chris and Claire prepared to fight but the stranger had other plans, so he took a flash grenade that he had from his belt. The duo covered their eyes as he threw it towards the oncoming horde of attacking zombies.

The bright light of the flash grenade blinded the undead for a few moments, giving them the perfect opportunity to flee. The stranger took the lead, showing that he knew where to go as he was familiar with the streets. He must be a local resident of this city. As they continued running, they saw more zombies, undead dogs and even some cats behind fences. _Zombie cats; that was new_. They simply ignored them since they would be able to get through eventually and the dogs are able to climb fences. 

The whole city was completely infested by zombies, although this fact was made clear from when they first arrived. To make things even worse, there weren't any survivors or residents that lived within the city, which is a very appalling turnout of events. That is, apart from Sherry (and possibly her parents), Irons and the stranger that they'd just met. It was indeed a nightmare come true and there was almost no safe place anywhere. After running for a few minutes, they stopped at an abandoned Starbucks and the man put his bags of groceries down on the floor. Claire was catching her breath from running so much. When things seemed to be okay for the moment, the duo had a flashlight pointed directly in their faces and were met by the end of the barrel from the man's shotgun, aimed at both their heads...

* * *

 

(Art coming soon) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Kendo


	14. Kendo

Just as they had arrived at the broken down Starbucks, the stranger continued to aim his shotgun at them.

"What are you doing?!" Claire yelled.

Chris stood in front of Claire, hoping that he could reason with the man.

"Please, take it easy. You can lower you gun. We're friendly- We're not a threat to you." He spoke in a calm, but collected manner.

"Now, let's get one fucking thing straight here. Just because you saved my ass back there, that doesn't make us buddies... If that's what you thought, then you've got another thing coming... Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your heads off right now!" The man responded angrily.

"We're not going to hurt you... We're just survivors, like you."

"We only wanted to help you." Claire added.

"Help me, huh? You sure of that? You helped me just so you could take advantage and steal from me? It's been very hard leaving this shithole of a place for food, water and supplies for days. If you think I'm letting any of you take my stuff, you're fucking mistaken. I'll blow your fucking head off before you get the chance."

"We're not after your groceries. We just saw that you were another survivor in trouble, and we came to help. That's all... Looking at this city, it's the least we could do. We'll have even better chances of survival if we work together." Chris explained.

"Yeah, if we hadn't have shown up, you would be dead and turned to zombie food. The least _you_ can do, is show us some fucking gratitude." Claire added passive aggressively, crossing her arms.

The man finally lowered his shot gun, shocked and in remorse. "You really mean that? Damn... Even when the world goes to hell, there are still good people left. Thank you, I was really in a tight spot back there."

"I’m Chris." He introduced himself and held his hand out for a handshake.

"Claire."

The man accepted and shook Chris' hand. "Name's Robert Kendo, but you can just call me Kendo. Sorry for acting like an asshole. It's been hard- well, It think you've seen it for yourselves." 

"It's safe to say that a zombie outbreak isn't exactly something that happens every day." Chris commented.

Kendo pulled out his smartphone from his pocket and started showing both of them photos he took of the streets around the city. The photos were dated from the 24th to the 28th.

"A city-wide epidemic. It happened so sudden. It started with news of people getting killed, then, they were being eaten. People panicked and many of them didn't make it. Just within five days, this entire city turned to total shit. The ones that ran away weren't exactly the luckiest and the ones that somehow manage to escape the city unscathed were. Who knows how many are left? Asides from those two people that I met earlier."

"Wait, two? You met with more survivors?" This peaked Chris' interest.

"Yes, but it wasn't a pleasant moment like right now... They were looking for trouble until the guy insisted that they should leave. He was a cop."

"A cop?" Claire turned Chris. "It could be Leon."

"I dunno, but I do remember the woman's name... The cop called her Ada."

Chris and Claire were both in deep thought. The cop had to be Leon, and if it was, he was alright. For more good news, he wasn't alone as someone was helping him. This would mean that his chances of survival are more likely and that he could pull through this nightmare.

"Do you know where they went?" Claire asked, eager to find out.

"Not a clue, and honestly, I really don't fucking care. That bitch was willing to shoot my daughter down if it wasn't for that guy. He convinced her to stop."

The two of them didn't know what the man was on about, but they decided to not ask questions about it.

"Uh, Kendo? We shouldn't be staying here any longer. We have somewhere to get to." Claire remembered that they still had to find Sherry who is still being held hostage by Irons at the orphanage.

"Trying to get out of this shithole? Not a bad idea, but it won't be easy. I'm sure you guys must be hungry."

Chris was actually feeling hungry for the first time. As a matter of fact, he's never really felt hungry in his life. Yellow sun empowered Kryptonians can usually sustain themselves without needing food or sleep. Claire was hungry too as she hasn't eaten since lunch time. 

"Look I- I know we got off at the wrong foot at first... but maybe, I can make it up to you. I'll take you to my shop and we can eat there. It's way safer than here... What do you say?"

"I... I don't know. We don't want to be a problem but thanks for offering." Although Chris was hungry, he wanted Kendo to keep his groceries and get to the orphanage to save Sherry already.

"No, don't be silly. I owe you guys because you saved my life... It's the least I can do."

"Well, I did say you should show some gratitude. We'll take your offer." Claire grinned.

"Good. Follow me."

* * *

Unlike most of the city, the path was clear, peaceful and safe. Kendo told them that he owns a gun shop not too far from here and of course, this really caught Claire's interest. They might be able to acquire some ammo and they'll surely be needing it. As of now, things aren't so bad; they will have some refreshments, get ammo and hopefully ask for directions to where the orphanage is. Claire really wanted to know more about where Leon and that woman he's with could have gone to, but Kendo had already said that he really didn't know, or care, so she left it at that. However, she also hasn't forgotten that their highest priority was finding Sherry. 

After walking through the desolate streets, it wasn't that long until they reached their destination. There was the sign in red neon lights saying 'GUN SHOP KENDO.' Kendo told them that he was running on backup power as opened the double doors, letting the duo in. As soon as he entered, he closed the doors and put a large chain and padlock around it. It should be enough to temporarily stop zombies from entering but he explained that this area was safe for the time being. Thankfully, there weren't any zombies or undead animals around.

Looking around the shop, it was a real mess needless to say, but it's not like anyone would have the time to clean up during a zombie outbreak. They both  noticed that most of the shelves were empty since people would've needed ammo in an attempt to fight the undead and survive. Kendo told them to wait as he went through another door that led inside another room and started preparing their meals. Another thing they noticed was that his home was next to the shop, being in that room. They really didn't want to invade his privacy more than they already have. 

However, something seemed odd; something that Chris picked up on. The man started to act nervous and agitated when they arrived. It's like he didn't want them in his home, or to see something that he could be hiding. Chris found this completely understandable though, as he could tell that the man was obviously scared from all of this. Kendo also mentioned that he has a daughter and was doing his best to protect and keep her safe. Chris stood around, looking at the shelves, racks and numerous supplies while Claire was checking on her ammo. 

"What's on your mind?" Claire asked while still checking on her gear, but she took her time to glance at Chris.

"I guess... about how hungry I am. I didn't even know I was, until Kendo brought up food. Haven't eaten since breakfast and I've never actually felt hungry before." He chuckled.

"And? ... What else? Your face says more than just hungry."

Chris let out a sigh. "Honestly, I’m worrying about everything, especially this city. Leon, Kendo, or any survivors left... and Sherry more than anyone. She's just a child... I hope she's alright. She really is scared... and terrified."

"With 'Chief Asshole,' anyone would be. I can't imagine how long she's been by herself before we ran into her."

When Claire sat down on a chair, Chris got seated next to her. 

"I'm really impressed how you can keep your cool under this situation. There isn't too many people who could do the same... Believe me, I know."

"I can say the same about you... I'd say you're doing even better than me."

"I... Before coming here, I was facing many dangers... and ever since accepting who I am, I was doing my part to protect the world. More recently, fighting alongside my friends while saving the capital city and destroying A.M.A.Z.O. ... but this is certainly the first time I'm on my own, without my powers- Well, I'm not exactly alone." Chris gave a grin and looked at her.

"You said you were an alien from a planet called Krypton but it got destroyed."

"That's right... Wait... I thought you didn't believe me. You said I was super crazy."

"I'm just following your lead; going along with you, but it doesn't mean I believe you... But I suppose, if you really were an alien, you'd be the nicest one I've met. Even then, you seem so... well... human."

Chris just smiled. "I have my parents who raised me to thank for that. They taught me everything, especially compassion and forgiveness... Even my little brother makes me happy and proud every time I see him. He really looks up to me... Even though I'm not related to them in any way, we all still love each other. I'd do anything for them. Family isn't always whose blood you carry, it's who you love and who loves you."

"Wow, I'd say they really taught you well."

"About Sherry and Leon, we'll find them. I promise."

After a few minutes, they heard footsteps coming towards them. Kendo stood with two bowls with a fork inside each.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, it's okay. We were just talking." Chris gave a soft smile and nodded.

"I hope you like microwave noodles and soup. It's all I can make under these conditions and sorry about the place looking shithouse."

"Soup and noodles are great and it's not like you should be cleaning or decorating during a zombie outbreak." Chris gave the other bowl to Claire as she gladly accepted it.

"So... Don't you think you’re a little early for Halloween?" Kendo eyed Chris' Kryptonian supersuit and cape.

Chris just looked down at the ground and chuckled while Claire did the same.

"Something wrong?"

"No, not at all... Thanks a lot Mr. Kendo, for the food." Chris nodded with gratitude.

"Like I said, it's the least I can do after saving my sorry ass. I was actually afraid, I really thought I wasn't going to make it out this time… Do you two live in this city?"

"Actually, that's what we want to know." Claire answered. "We're new here- we wanted to ask you if you're a resident."

"Damn right I am. Been living in Raccoon City for nearly thirty years. I know every inch of it like the back of my hand." Kendo said proudly.

"Then you must know where the orphanage is?"

"The Raccoon City Orphanage, I do."

"Daddy...?" Said a little girl's voice.

Kendo's eyes widened and gasped in panic while Chris and Claire didn't know why he freaked out. In the open doorway of the next room, was a little girl standing. She was Asian in appearance with dark hair and eyes, wearing gray-blue pajamas and held a brown teddy bear in her right hand. She appeared to be around the same age as Sherry. However, both of them noticed her appearance. The girl's right eye had a milky white cataract while her skin was starting to rot and is a pale gray-white in color. 

They both looked at each other and read each other's minds. _The child was infected but hasn't fully turned._ They don't know how long she has been in this terrible state. Seeing Kendo's expression, it was indeed true. He must be feeling useless seeing that his own daughter is going to turn any minute, but the two neither said a word nor were going to do anything. He must know what happens to those who get infected. He turned and looked at his guests but saw that they weren't taking out their weapons.

As Chris thought about it, it's no wonder why that woman called Ada wanted to kill her, but still, she was just a little girl. He swallowed and his heart skipped a beat, thinking if Sherry ends up like her.

"Emma... Sweetie, what did I tell you? Wait for me inside the house. I wasn't going to be long. Please go back inside." Kendo told his daughter.

Emma gave a nod as she turned back into the room. She was even walking like a zombie, dragging her pale bare feet. Kendo then looked at the duo, in deep thought.

"We'll finish up, then we'll be on our way." Chris announced.

"I thought you wanted to know where the orphanage is."

"Of course."

"I know what you're thinking. She doesn’t have much time and I've seen what happens to them. I fucked up and now, she's paying the price."

"None of us are arguing, and we're sorry. You've done enough for us as it is Kendo, but we need to get to the orphanage." Claire spoke up.

"Thank you." Kendo gave a grin, before getting serious.

He walked to the counter, took out a referdex book and pointed at the maps. "All right. From here, there are two ways to get to there. One is through Central then Kingsbury street, Red Hill parade, then John F. Kennedy drive but it's a long way. It will take you about three hours to reach the orphanage on foot."

"And the second way?" Chris asked.

"The second way is sort of a shortcut. It's a path through Warren street that leads to straight to Raccoon Park and the street across the park isn't far from the orphanage. That would take around fifteen minutes to get there but I wouldn't recommend it."

"Why not?"

"Last time I checked, the place was crawling with those undead fucks. I'm talking about dozens of them, maybe even hundreds... It will be safer if you take the long way."

"We can't afford to waste time. We need to get to the orphanage as quickly as possible." Claire stated .

"We're gonna have to take the shortcut." Chris agreed.

"You two people are fucking crazy, but at least you guys are well prepared... Maybe I can help you be even more prepared. I’ll give you plenty of ammo among other goodies.”

"Er, no... You don't have to do that. We don't even have any money to pay for it."

"Do you really think I care about money at a time like this? Money isn't going to help me get the fuck out of here... Like I said, I'll give you everything you need for free."

"We'll take it." Claire accepted.

"Let me get everything ready."

Chris and Claire started eating the noodles and soup. Even mediocre microwave food will taste good when you're really hungry. They finished immediately as Kendo returned with a quite impressive ammo collection. Handguns, submachine guns, shotgun shells, flame rounds along with acid and freeze rounds. There were also a few flash grenades, hand grenades and a couple belts to carry all the weapons. This guy certainly has really brought everything to the table to prepare them. Chris has seen a lot of artillery and as Superman II, he has been shot by them but of course, they had no effect on him.

Chris knew that, if they were taking the shortcut which is supposed to be full of zombies, they were going to need this. Kendo left again for a while then returned holding a small silver briefcase. 

"If you're still hell bent on taking the hard way. You're going to need the firepower necessary. Take whatever you want." He told the two.

"You don't have to give us all these, Mr. Kendo." Chris was still reluctant.

"It's not like I'm running the business anymore. Trust me, you'll need all of the ammunition. It's fucking hell out there."

"No complaints from me. Thanks." Claire gladly took the submachine gun ammo along with other rounds for her grenade launcher, some handgun ammo, a few grenades. She also grabbed the new belt so it will make it easier to carry her submachine gun along with more ammo.

"Honestly, I still don't like guns but if you say it's really that bad out there, then I guess I don't have much of a choice." Chris followed. He started taking the handgun ammo, shotgun shells and flash grenades before mounting them on the hip pouches he had.

"I said I owe you guys a lot, more than you know... and one more thing, I have something for you, Chris."

Chris couldn't exactly guess what Kendo had for him, but it could be a new gun. He already had a handgun and an impressive shotgun. He thought that was enough. _What other weapon would I possibly need?_

"Now usually, I would charge you about twelve-hundred dollars for the bad boy this is, before all of this happened... but the price is worth it, considering its firepower."

As Kendo opened the silver briefcase, Chris glanced at it. The firearm was silver while the handle was black, along with a rolling barrel and the whole thing that appeared to be more than a foot long. It also had a custom built laser pointer built in for it, that made aiming easier. This was obviously a powerful firearm. 

"Say hello to your little friend. This will certainly help you to survive in this shit hole." Kendo said as he removed the gun from the case.

"Is that... similar to a .44 Magnum?"

"Even better. This, is the Magnum Research BFR 45-70 Government. Capacity five bullets per round. Comes with its own advanced laser pointer so you can never miss your target at any distance. As for the firepower, I'd say it's strong enough to take down an elephant. I'll even give you some ammo."

"You're being too generous Mr. Kendo."

Chris accepted and holstered the gun on one of his hip pouches. 

"Thank you for everything Kendo. We really have to get going." Claire waved.

"No, thank you. For saving my life earlier. I'll be forever in your debt with you two."

Kendo didn't say another word as he went to the front door,  removing the chain and padlock, opening the double doors.

"Be careful and good luck. Don't lose to those shitheads."

"We won't." Chris replied shaking Kendo's hand once more.

 They now knew where to go and where the danger was waiting for them. They were armed and ready to kill; ready to fight a war. Studying Kryptonian history, Chris was reminded of the Kandorian war that occurred twenty years before Krypton's destruction. Jor-El (Kal's father) and General Zod who were best friends at the time, were involved in that particular war.

"Mr. Kendo's a strong and good man." Chris said. "But he knows that his daughter will eventually turn."

"You know there's nothing we can do. He knows it too." Claire took a breath. "Right now, Sherry needs us."

"Absolutely... You ready to do this?"

"I was born ready." Claire grinned.

* * *

 

 

^ Chris is held at gunpoint by Robert Kendo (https://i.imgur.com/6gxcH4o)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was heavily inpsired by one of Gravenimage's chapters of his RE2+RWBY X-over.
> 
> Next Chapter: Sherry Birkin's Big Move


	15. Sherry Birkin's Big Move

**_\- Raccoon City Orphanage. Nurse’s Office. 20 minutes ago –_ **

After Chief Irons had abruptly ended the conversation with Claire on the phone, he then stared at a monitor, looking through the hidden camera of the bedroom. He was watching Sherry and saw the girl lying down on the bed.

"Stupid kid. If you hadn't have dropped that fucking thing, I could let you go." He muttered to himself, obviously referring to Sherry's pendant. 

* * *

 

**_\- Orphanage Bedroom -_ **

Sherry had felt like she had been inside this dusty old room for what seemed like forever. After a while, she eventually became tired and decided to lie down on the bed she was sitting on and take a nap, still in her school uniform and socks. Not that she had any other clothes to change into anyway; she had been wearing the same clothes, socks and shoes for the entire week. Nonetheless, no matter how many times she tried, she couldn't keep her eyes closed for any more than five minutes at a time, even though she has been awake longer than she's ever been. She then recalled the events that happened the past five days.

On Monday, Sherry ditched during the middle of school, then sought refuge in the police station like the others. Even though she was supposed to come straight back to her house according to her mother's letter, doing so was virtually impossible because the streets were full of people, roadblocks and traffic. There was no way she could navigate herself through all this without getting lost. The reasons why she ventured off to the police station was because she overheard some teachers at her school talking about the place being the best place to settle, it was way easier than walking to her home and she knew where it was. Running nonstop through the streets, along with what seemed like a million people was one of the most difficult things that she's done in her life. Although Sherry made it unscathed, she was definitely out of breath and tired from running so far.

Ever since, it was difficult enough to get food, water and sleep there. When people started getting infected inside and the whole station eventually falling into disarray, she literally had to keep stealing whatever food was left, had to avoid drinking tap water and had to keep running and finding new places to hide if she wanted to survive. These tasks were even harder than just running among crowds of people on the streets. In addition, Sherry remembers the time where she had to break into a couple vending machines by throwing bricks at the glass, in order to obtain food like chocolate and candy bars, potato chips, sodas and soft drinks.

As Sherry was thinking about everything, more questions and thoughts poured into her head. _What is this man planning to do with me? Where is my mommy? I hope Claire and Chris will come to save me._ Suddenly, she heard heavy footsteps outside the door of the room. She sat back up on the side of the bed and gasped looking at the door.

"Don't worry, Sherry. It'll be all over soon..." Irons sneered in a gloating and mocking voice before walking away and heading downstairs.

Sherry looked around the room and she knew that she had to do something. Just because she was only ten years old, it didn't mean that she was overly clueless. Granted, she still didn't know what that man wanted with her, but it's already been made clear that he's a bad guy and wasn't going to let her out. She knew that she had to get out of this place.

"There has to be a way out of here..." Sherry bravely told herself.

Sherry hopped off the bed and quickly slipped her VANS shoes back on. She started walking to the middle of the multicolored carpet on the wooden floor.

Sherry took her time to walk around the room, looking for a way out. The door was locked so she knows that she can't get out that way. Something then caught her eye; there was a large hole on the wall covered with a piece cardboard. She attempted to remove it but she wasn't quite strong enough to do so as it was duct taped to the wall. Not only that, ripping the tape might make too much noise and that man could hear her. She needed something to cut the tape with. 

Sherry then backed into a blue cushioned wooden chair next to the bed and spotted an old, but creepy-looking stuffed doll. Curious, she picked it up and examined it. On the back, a zipper was partially open, so she opened it all the way and found a small weathered-looking wooden cube with golden shapes on it.

"I wonder what that was doing in there...?"

Sherry decided there was nothing interesting about the block and just placed it back on the chair. As Sherry did some more looking around, she noticed that there was a wooden object on top of a toy chest; it had three of those same wooden blocks that she just found. Having a closer look, it looked like there was a small drawer that could only be opened by solving what appeared to be a block puzzle. She had no way of knowing what could be inside that drawer, but for some reason, she hoped that it might have something that could help her. She quickly went back to the chair and took the wooden cube back. She tried to place it in the missing spot. Nothing happened. At first, she didn’t get it but she tilted her head to the side as she thought about it.

"I get it now! I have to match and line the shapes up with the sides." She softly said to herself.

Sherry moved and rotated the blocks around. The leftmost block pattern was a circle while the rightmost one was a star. It surprisingly didn't take long for her to solve the puzzle; it was actually pretty easy. When finished, the drawer opened revealing a pair of pink children's scissors.

"That's it! I can use that on the cardboard."

Sherry ran up to the cardboard covered hole and cut the duct tape, using the blade of the scissors like a knife. Now she was able to tear the sheet of cardboard from the wall. She then crouched down and easily fit through the hole in the wall, reaching the other side. She saw that she's now in what appeared to be a nurse's office with files, a laptop, printer, surgical equipment, a telephone and a flat-screened monitor with the screen still on. She still didn't understand what this meant, but also knew right away that this was bad news.

"What... is this?" Sherry asked herself out aloud.

Staring at the screen, she noticed it was showing the bedroom she was just in. _There was a camera… He was in here watching me…_ The thought of this scared her. She headed out the door which was unlocked and ended up in a corridor. She noticed another door that was partially open but when she tried to go in, it was blocked by something too heavy so she continued to follow down the corridor. She saw a notebook on a table and decided to read it, since it looked interesting. Looking at the date, this was written back in January. Sherry would've been in fourth grade back then. The writing looked like it was written by someone younger than herself.

_**Sally’s Diary** _

_Jan. 4, 2018_

_Wednesdays are perfectically great days cuz we get snacks and ice cream. I hate the last place I was at. The teachers were all_  
_meanies! It was just study, study, study, and there wasn’t no ice cream. I love, love, love it here._

_Jan. 10, 2018  
_

_There was an important rule made today. Everyone must write a diary, get health checkups, and we ain’t allowed outside by_  
ourselves. _It’s good we don’t hafta go to school. I don’t wanna go and get picked on for my old clothes. Specially not by the guy_  
_that used to wear them._

_Jan. 16, 2018  
_

_The orphanage director is coming today, so I’ma gonna wear my most favoritest checkered blue outfit.  
_

_The director is tall._  
_The director has a mustache._  
_The director is a policeman._

Sherry was confused as she put the diary back onto the table. It really didn't tell her anything, apart from the fact that a little girl named Sally liked Wednesdays, wore hand-me-downs and got ready to meet the orphanage director. She continued to go down the hallway only to find a dead end and a large dresser with five drawers. At that moment, she saw an open window above. Having another idea, she grunted as she pulled the middle drawer out all the way and climbed on it, using it a step. She then pulled herself up once more to reach the top of the dresser and her small body was able to fit through the open window as she climbed out. As she reached the other side, she hung on to the bottom frame before letting go and landing on her feet with a soft grunt.

Sherry found herself inside a nursery of some sort and she carefully snuck around as she saw two doors. She tried the door straight ahead but it was locked. With no choice but to take the door on the right, she crouched underneath a toy arch and exited the nursery. She then climbed down a flight of stairs and saw the main front door. 

"That must be the door out of here!" She commented to herself, with a glint of excitement.

Sherry approached the door but of course, it was locked. It wasn't going to be that easy.

"Darnit, I need the key!"

She could only think of one person of who might have it. The man who took her and put her in here. As she continued to walk around, she briefly stared at toys scattered around on an 'ABC' carpet. On a table next to her, she spotted another diary and decided to read it. This one looked like it was written by someone closer to her own age or even slightly older due the better vocabulary and spelling.

**_Tom’s Diary_ **

_Feb. 5, 2018._

_It’s been 2 months since I sent that letter to Oliver, and all I’ve gotten back is nada. Zip. Then again, they’re all like that once they_  
_get adopted. Bet he’s living like a king in some fancy folks’ home and forgotten all about us. Really thought Oliver was different,_  
_that he’d be my friend for life. Guess I’m just a fool._

_Feb. 8, 2018_

_Ann sat all the little kids down and told them a story today. She said, “All the kids that get adopted are turned into food for the_  
_‘boogie men.’ That’s why no one hears from them ever again.” Not sure where she gets her ideas from, but she’s sure got the_  
_mind for writing trashy horror novels._

_Feb. 13, 2018_

_There’s something weird going on here, and it’s not just ‘cause of Ann’s stories. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve been in worse places,_  
_and this place is funded by some big drug company, but why can’t we call people or go outside? Why are there so many doctors_  
_around? What’s with those shots every day? It’s almost like we’re..._

_Feb. 14, 2018  
_

_I’m getting adopted. Me. Most people go for younger kids, so I figured I was too old, but I can’t say I’m not a little happy. Who_  
_am I kidding? I’m totally psyched. I say goodbye to this place on the 20th. I’m gonna try my best to be a good son, someone my_  
_new mom and pop can be proud of._  

_Feb. 19, 2018  
_

_Oliver came back in the middle of the night, all messed up, screaming “help me” and stuff. I didn’t even recognize him at first;_  
_his face was all peeling and melted off. He’s with the teachers and doctors now. It’s just a skin thing, they say. He’ll get better_  
_soon, and then we can go on adventures again._

After reading this, a shiver went down Sherry's spine while she gulped. That last entry sounded really bad. She wants to get out of this place even more. Finding the next door close to her, she opens it and finds herself in another corridor. As she got around a corner, she saw a figure behind some curtains in the window at the end of the corridor.

"Oh no... It's him!" Sherry gasped as she crouched down, continuing her way more cautiously and quieter.

She then took a right and entered through another unlocked door, this time, careful not to make any noise. Since Irons was too busy listening to classical music to notice, Sherry then looked around the room. On a large table laid a pale and dead young woman that looked preserved. She had long blond hair, grey lifeless eyes that stared blankly and wore a short white dress and tan high-heels. Sherry gasped at the sight, feeling sick and terrified. 

Looking away, there was panel with three hooks on the wall behind a desk. One of the hooks hung the keys for the orphanage.  _There_ _they are!_ Sherry attempted to reach for the keys and stood on her tippy-toes but before she can lean any further, the music suddenly stopped and the curtains opened behind her. She gasped as she turned around and backed away. It was him. She's in big trouble.

* * *

 

"Where you going, Sherry?" Irons asked menacingly, with a mean look in his eyes before walking over to the desk. "I told you to stay put."

He then took the keys for himself off the panel and advanced towards the little girl. "You need to learn to listen."

"Leave me alone! Just, please..." Sherry cried, now more terrified. She backed away into the same table that the dead female corpse was on.

"Time to teach some manners."

Sherry then spotted a small glass bottle on the table, filled with unknown contents. As Irons continued to loom towards her, she grabbed the bottle and threw it in self-defense, smashing him in the face before kicking him in the tibia.

" _AAAUUUUUGHHH_! My face!" Irons screamed and recoiled back in pain, while Sherry quickly ran away. The bottle had contained sulfuric acid.

"You little bitch...!" Irons shouted as he grabbed a small table of surgical equipment and threw it to the ground in a fit of rage.

Sherry briefly watched him, gasping heavily and kept running.

"You are gonna pay for this...!" He continued to rave as the left side of his face was severely burned and disfigured. " _Ohohhoh_... You little shit!"

Sherry finally exited the room and closed the door behind her as she backed away. Hearing that Irons was still coming, she started running again, even though she knew she couldn't run very fast in this place.

"You are going to be so fucking sorry!" Irons yelled out as he pursued the girl.

"Go away!" Sherry screamed out as she ran, opening the door and entering the front hall again.  "Help! Somebody please!" She cried out after running up the flight of stairs and headed back to the nursery.

Irons saw her go up the stairs. "You stupid bitch... That's a dead end!"

Sherry entered the nursery, crouching down and looking around for a place to hide.

"Gotta hide... gotta hide... gotta hide!" She said to herself, clearly panicking.

She found a small cabinet filled with towels next to a chair and decided to hide behind that. There wasn't really much of a choice in this room. Just then, the door burst open with Irons holding a flashlight, then turning to lock the door with the keys. Sherry tried to soften her breathing and stayed quiet as possible. When she looked down, she noticed that her left shoelace had come undone and loosened but there was no time fix that now. Must have happened while she was running. 

"It's all over now…! Door's locked!"

As Irons searched around the room, he kept trying to goad her out of hiding. "Where are you!? Show yourself! I know you're in here! The longer it takes for me to find you, the worse it's gonna be!"

Of course, Sherry wasn't falling for it and kept quiet in her hiding place.

Irons eventually came close to the towel rack, still searching. Sherry slowly circled around the rack, opposite to where he was standing. This allowed him to walk past her without noticing. He then approached a bed frame and moved it out of the way before turning around to backtrack. 

"Oh god... oh god..." Sherry muttered quietly to herself.

As Irons came close to her hiding spot again, she did the same as before. He walked past the towel racks again.

"Little bitch’s gotta be here somewhere...!" He was muttering and cursing to himself. He continued to walk until his foot stubbed on something hard, which hurt. "Urrrgh... Goddammit!"

Sherry knew that she couldn't hide in the same place forever, because if she does, that man will find her. So she carefully crept out to find a new hiding spot, while staying crouched. Sherry felt that her left foot nearly stepped out of her shoe with every step she took, due to the fact that her laces were still untied and loose. If she lost a shoe now, that would be bad and it would only make it easier for Irons to find her. 

Sherry continued to quietly and carefully creep around the floor and only froze when she saw the flashlight beam move close to her direction. Fortunately, she found a longer table next to some boxes and hid under it. She then took the opportunity to quickly tie up her shoelaces. 

"No more…no more… please! ... Please go away..." She whispered to herself. This was a tense moment.

"Sonofabitch...!" Irons muttered as he continued his search. "This is your last fucking chance! Show yourself-NOW! ... If you don't fucking come out, you are going to wish you were DEAD!" He then yelled out.

Well, after hearing that, this gave Sherry even more reason to stay hidden. No matter what he says, she cannot let him find her. Irons continued his search and walked past the table that Sherry's hiding under, without noticing. He doubled over as the burning sensation on his face became worse.

"Ahh... FUCK! IT BURNS!"

Irons decides to take a break and headed for the bathroom, unlocking the door. He was too preoccupied that he failed to realize that he left the keys in the lock of the door. He staggered into the bathroom and towards the washbasin, repeatedly splashing water in his face. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he saw the damage that was done and knew that it will be permanent. No one can ever truly heal from burns like that.

"Look at what that little bitch done to my face! I gonna fucking kill her!" He cursed to himself.

Seeing this as her only chance, Sherry quietly crept towards the door and took the keys. She ran off as quickly as she could while trying to make the least noise. Irons decided he was done and turned off the faucet. Sherry looked back and gave a loud gasp as she ran around the nursery, heading for the exit.

"Where the fuck is my key!?" Irons spat, now alarmed while he turned the lights on from the switches near the door. This allowed him to easily spot a fleeing Sherry.

"I see you!"

"NO!" Sherry yelled as she continued to run.

Irons resumed the chase but is slowed down by numerous obstacles and the burning sensation on his face. As he advanced forward, he tripped over a plastic bucket that was in the way. He fell to the ground with a grunt.

"Arrgh! I'm going to snap that scrawny little neck of yours!"

Sherry gasped loudly again as she reached the door, unlocking it and getting out of the nursery. She climbed down the same staircase and set her eyes on the main doors. 

"Hurry... hurry... hurry!" She muttered to herself as she got the keys out again.

Sherry inserted the the largest key in the lock and turned, unlocking the doors. She was finally home free, or, that's what she thought.

"Wha-? Won't open!?"

Unfortunately, the doors were heavily chained from the outside, forcing her to head to the door which led back into the same corridor. 

"Nice try, Sherry...! You are finished!" Irons shouted.

He burst through the nursery's door as he picked up the pace and climbed down the stairs. He found an emergency fire axe rested undermeath the staircase. Sherry went back into the corridor but not before locking the door with the keys, hoping that she'd be safe. Right this instant, she heard approaching footsteps and the blade of a fire axe busted through the door, almost a foot away from her head.

"I'm coming in, Sherry!" Irons yelled.

Sherry gave a loud high-pitched scream and continued down the corridor, heading back to the director's office. It didn't take long for Irons to fully break the door as she heard heavy footsteps catching up to her.

"Get over here, you little bitch!"

Sherry found herself back in the director's office, desperately looking for a place to hide. There really wasn't much choice but to hide behind the table with the dead woman on top. Irons stumbled in the room in hot pursuit and was able to spot the girl.

"End of the line, Sherry! ... The game…is…over!" Irons jeered.

Sherry tried to run away again, but this time he was able to catch her and roughly grabbed the little girl, lifting her off her feet.

"Now you're in trouble!"

" _NOOOOO!_ " She let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Let me go!"

"I'll kill you... I'LL KILL YA!" Irons yelled sadistically in her face.

Sherry struggled, squirmed and kicked her legs, but as soon as she saw something with a giant yellow eye behind Irons, she gave a loud scream. Irons turned around, put Sherry down and let her go. The giant monster lunged at Irons with its grotesque mutated arm, implanting something in the chief's mouth. It looked like some sort giant long slimy slug working its way in as he choked and fell to the ground.

"No... Stop!" Sherry cried, as if she were speaking to the monster.

She turned back and sat down on the floor with her knees tucked to her chest, hiding behind the table and looking away from the horrid sight while the monster wandered off. There were tears coming out of her eyes as she closed them; clearly terrified and scared.

* * *

 

^ Sherry is trapped in the Orphanage Bedroom (https://i.imgur.com/mf0WHi1)

^ Sherry is caught by Irons before they are interrupted by William.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty much is based on Sherry's segment, or, is virtually the same in the RE2 Remake game.  
> Of course, there are some extended moments to make things more interesting.
> 
> Fun Fact: The name "Sherry Birkin's Big Move" is a parody of the movie title "Max Keeble's Big Move." 
> 
> Next Chapter: Shortcut through Peril


	16. Shortcut Through Peril

After leaving Kendo's gun shop, Chris and Claire took his directions. The man was so kind to them for saving his life, despite the fact that they didn't get off to a great start at first. He even lent Claire a copy of the map of Raccoon City, which would be very useful for them. Taking the west district, they carefully took different paths which weren't open on the streets. Gutters, certain landmarks and other shortcuts have helped. It made it easier for them to proceed but they knew it wasn't going to be a safe journey as Kendo had already warned them. They have already encountered a couple of zombies in small numbers which were taken out by Chris using his knife. They made the smart decision to save all the ammo given by Kendo for emergencies only, or if absolutely necessary. So far so good, they were on the correct path. However, it still bothered them how they haven't seen any other survivors yet, asides from Kendo, Sherry, Leon, Ada (whom Kendo had mentioned before) and even Irons. It really looked like that this city was finished. 

When Chris looked around, he briefly saw a small black leather 'T-bar style' buckled school shoe on the ground in front of him; the brand being 'Clarks,' around a US youth size 2, worn on the right foot and the fastening strap seemed to have snapped. Even though it was dark, Chris was just able to see the printed name label on the insole of the shoe. It said 'Karlie Bair Class 3J.'  _Poor girl, I'm really sorry Karlie..._ Chris thought. He remembered that Karlie was among one of the names on the missing persons poster back at the eastern hallway of the police station. He knew that this was a child who most likely didn't survive this horrible outbreak and she was even younger than Sherry.

Claire was holding the map out, trying to memorize the path while showing Chris. According to Kendo, the shortcut was passing through Warren Street with the Westfield mall, cinema and city hall in the distance. After that, the city park shouldn't be too far. If they're able to clear through the park successfully, they will be at the orphanage in no time. They couldn't risk taking the long path, even though Kendo said that it was much safer. It will take three hours to get to their destination and not to mention, they needed to save Sherry from Chief Irons. Kendo had warned and made it clear that the shortcut was going to be near impossible to cross through. The main reason was that according to him, the park is filled with zombies.

Fortunately, they both had plenty of ammunition which should hopefully make things easier. In Chris' mind, their goals and objectives have seemingly changed drastically over time. From finding Claire's brother, finding Leon, escaping the police station, to finding Sherry and Leon again, then leave the city. It can be agreed that they all wanted to get far away from this dreadful place as soon as possible. If there was nothing they could do for those who have already fallen, they only needed to find survivors (if there was any besides Leon and Sherry) and get out. 

Claire finally put the map back in one of her hip pouches but looking forward, they weren't out of danger yet. Chris volunteered to take the lead with his combat knife. Even with the three firearms he had, he was still using it. The amount of strength that he had allows an already lethal combat knife to be even more so. 

* * *

 

When Claire thought about it, the story that Chris told her after hiding from the trench coat wearing stalker really makes her think he's truly insane. That he comes from another planet called Krypton with its inhabitants being far superior to humans. Then he gets godlike superpowers under Earth's sun and protects mankind as well as being mentored by another survivor named 'Kal.' Not to mention the fact he supposedly fought some supervillain called A.M.A.Z.O. or whatever. Everything he told her was way too far-fetched and totally unrealistic. Now, that's what she usually thought, but the more she thought about it, there was a chance he wasn't crazy at all. Especially, not after what she has seen so far, regarding Chris. She saw him survive things that would absolutely kill a human and still walk around as if nothing happened. Even getting shot a few times despite the fact he said his suit protected him. This was still certainly beyond human capabilities. This wasn't normal no matter how strong someone was or that he had a bullet-proof costume; he should be dead.

The biggest shock for Claire has to be when he fought that thing with the trench coat and fedora. The same thing that moved a crashed chopper like it was nothing. Chris basically beat the crap out of him. Showing strength and agility which was impossible for a human to possess. Claire just rubbed her forehead, asking herself questions. _How can it be possible for someone_ _from another world to come here? How can it even be possible for a world like Krypton to exist in the first place? Alternate and parallel universes are only in science fiction._ _The fact_ _he said what he's shown so far is nothing compared to when he has so-called superpowers under a yellow sun? And now, he said_ _he doesn't have any of powers and has to wait for the sun to come out?_

The way Chris told her, it's like something that comes straight from a comic book or fairy tale. Advanced races, Era of Expansion, superpowers, heroes and more. Yeah, it definitely sounded like a fairy tale world speaking about fairy tales. All of it sounded ridiculous; it was bullshit. But then again, she has witnessed extraordinary things, so should she just keep on denying it? With her own eyes, she has seen what amazing stuff Chris can do but nothing on his so-called superpowers. Even though he gave a reason for 'not having them' at the moment, that could be made up too.

 _I think I should believe him. He hasn't done anything that will make me lose my trust in him... But it sounds so fucking crazy. He has_ _helped me so much and without him I mightn't even be standing alive right now._

Claire also took into account the way Chris spoke about his foster family. At least she could believe the part about him being adopted by a nice family. Besides, she could tell that everything he said about them was genuine and heartfelt. When talked about family in general, she couldn't have said it better herself. Chris seemed so normal and human, despite his crazy stories.

"This is it." Chris announced.

Claire was snapped from her thoughts as she stopped walking. They were on a sidewalk, next to numerous shops and stores which were of course abandoned and in disarray. She saw that on the other side of the six-lane road was the building 'Westfield.' The place where people did most of their shopping. It was on the map and is just what Kendo had told them. 

"We're going the right way."

"Wow, not even Gamestop survived." Chris commented

He looked at the fallen video game and collection store which was just on their right. Through the broken front display window, he saw a sword. It was a replica of the Widow's Wail from the TV series 'Game of Thrones' which was worth four-hundred dollars. It was surprising that no one had taken it, considering that even though it's a replica, it's still just as dangerous as an actual sword. As Chris thought of the fact that they were about to fight possibly hundreds of zombies, the sword might come in handy and will be much more effective than the knife. He ultimately goes through with it and takes the sword from the display. The sheath for it wasn't around but it's not like he had any room to carry it anyway. He could at least use the sword just this once.

"Where'd you just get that?" Claire asked.

Chris just pointed at Gamestop that they were right next to while Claire just raised an eyebrow. 

"Seriously? What's a toy sword gonna do?"

"Look closely, it's a Game of Thrones sword. It's a replica but still as dangerous a real sword. It's made of steel and is pretty darn sharp."

"Even so, why would you want a sword when you already have three guns and a knife on you?"

"Trust me, a sword is going to be much more effective than a knife and even better, it could save ammo."

"Do you even know how to wield one?"

"It shouldn't be that hard... Especially after watching the likes of Star Wars, Pirates of the Carribean, Lord of the Rings, so on and so forth."

Claire just rolled her eyes. Chris held the replica sword in his right hand and took out the handgun from his left before giving a serious look to her.

"Seriously though. From this point onwards, We have to be extra careful."

"Kendo did say that after passing this street, we'll be encountering that horde of zombies."

Ever since she arrived at this city, Claire has been on edge. Her brother taught her not to panic, no matter how hard the situation gets or how badly things seem. Taking his advice to heart, it's the reason why she has been able to get through all this without having a panic attack, or losing her sanity. It's like she has developed a sixth sense that will warn her if anything bad happens. Asides from hearing Chris' story, she never thought of experiencing something so unreal and so horrific. 

This doesn't mean Claire was completely unfamiliar with zombies. When Claire was younger, she has seen classic horror films like Night of the Living Dead, but she thought that one was more humor than horror though. Michael Jackson's music video "Thriller." but that doesn't count as a horror film. ‘IT’ and Annabelle: Creation were horror movies that came out last year, but had nothing to do with zombies. World War Z and Zombieland seemed to be the most relatable to this whole situation.  _Now isn't the time to be thinking about movies, Claire._ She needed to get her head into the game and focus on the task at hand.

They were able to hear it in the distance. The slow footsteps, the groaning, hissing, but they were so many. When they took a better look, their eyes widened in shock as the sight before them was definitely a very hard task. Kendo wasn't kidding when he warned them not to take this shortcut. There were hundreds of zombies loitering and walking throughout the empty streets, but this was only way to the park where it will take them straight to the orphanage. This was just too much and the first time they have seen so many of them at once. Even with all of the firepower and new gear they currently possess, they'll be using up a lot, if not, nearly all of their ammo to get rid of them. The police station was literally  _nothing_  compared to this. True, they had encountered lickers, zombie dogs and that trench coat giant, but this was suicide. 

Chris was thinking this through. _A few zombies were no big threat but hundreds?_ _That's a whole different story_. He knew that even with his superior strength in his powerless state, he could and will get overwhelmed. 

Chris had no idea what to do or how they could possibly get through this unscathed. He was in deep thought hoping that he could come up with a feasable plan, so he signaled for Claire to hide with him behind a truck. Luckily, the zombies still haven't noticed them yet and continued to wander aimlessly through the streets. This might be a great chance to use their grenades, before going with the big guns. Even with some experience in Torquasm-Rao, he hasn't gotten up to the part where it would allowed him to fight multiple opponents at once; that's one reason why this whole situation thing worried him. With no healing factor or invulnerability, he'll most likely end up just like them if he gets bitten. Even though his skinsuit is indestructible and would greatly mitigate that, what if the zombies pull on his cape? He won't be able to move or get away as nothing can damage that cape of his. If Claire ends up getting bitten, he knows that she will be lost forever. He will truly be damned if he lets anything happen to her under his watch.  _No, I have to be hopeful and optimistic._

This kind of situation requires clever planning and intelligence, not brute force or dumb recklessness. Charging or bullrushing them straight on isn't going to work. There weren't that many options and possibilities Chris could think of to get them past this horrendous mess. _Why couldn't sunrise be now? I could really use my powers here. Rao help me._

"I never anticipated that there will be so many of them gathered in one place... Didn't think that was possible..."

"It's not too late. We can still head back and take the long way." Claire recommended.

"No, we can't. If we go back, it will take us way too long to get to the orphanage. Three hours he said... We can't afford to waste any more time. We have to save Sherry, no matter what."

"The shortcut it is, then. Any idea how to get past all of them? Do you have a plan?"

"Well, rushing in and killing them straight on isn't a good plan. That would be suicide... We could use any flash grenades we have to stall them, then we run as fast as we can. If they get too close, we shoot them with our firearms and I'll cut them down at the same time."

"And if shit gets real bad, I can always use the new ammo." Claire has reloaded her grenade launcher with the liquid nitrogen freeze rounds, being secretly eager to try them out.

"As of now, they don't see us and as long they haven't yet, we have the advantage. If there's any high ground, we should also take it. Get ready to move on the count of three." Chris took a flash grenade out.

"It's going to be like a fucking rat race."

"Zombie race..."

* * *

 

Chris used his fingers, counting up from one to three. After the count of three, he threw the flash grenade high into the air, reaching the spot where many of the zombies were clustered. In a bright flash of light, a considerable number were staggered covering their eyes, stunned. This was their chance; Chris let Claire take the lead, so he can have her back. He chose to use the Widows Wail replica, not wanting to waste ammo. With Chris' strength, the sword cut through the undead fairly easily, showing that it was super effective. 

However, those that weren't affected by the flash were now aware of their presence. Those that were chasing after them got decapitated by the Chris’ sword, who was wielding it like Jedi from Star Wars, although wielding it in his right hand. This time, Claire threw another flash grenade and they shielded their eyes once it went off. They kept running avoiding large numbers of the zombies and could soon see the entrance to the park, they were almost there, just a little bit further. They were actually handling this quite well.

"Over there!" Chris called out.

There were more zombies ahead so Claire fired a liquid-nitro round, freezing five at the same time due to its impressive blast radius. Any other zombies were either getting thrown far away with kicks and shoves or decapitated by Chris' sword. When he came close to an empty hot dog cart, he kicked it into more zombies that were closest to it, knocking them further back. 

"How you doing back there, Chris?"

"Oh yeah. Fine... Replace the sword with a lightsaber and I'll be Obi-Wan Kenobi... or Mace Windu." He joked and called back.

Even in a situation like this, Chris was still able to crack jokes and make some light of this situation. Looking at him, Claire had to admit that his skills with a sword were actually very impressive. Refocusing, she threw a hand grenade, killing about seven more. What they were doing now was though to be near impossible since no one would be able to survive the sheer numbers. If it weren't for their weapons and grenades, they would never have a chance. This was too much for one person to take. At that moment, twenty zombies tried to surround them.

"Claire, back to back." 

Both leaned against other while Chris took the handgun out and used his left hand. They shot at them while Chris used the sword to cut down any zombies that came too close. After a few seconds, the duo finally made an opening and hastily continued on their way. As they were on the homestretch of reaching the gates of the park, a couple of zombies blocked their way. Claire fired another shot from a freeze round which was enough to stop them cold (pun intended). Chris shattered them with his fist, approaching the gates.

"This is it. Homestretch." He told Claire.

Behind them, the seemingly endless zombie horde was getting closer. Chris threw another flash grenade as he managed to open the double doors, Claire helped him secure it. After all that, they were finally safe for the moment.

"We actually did it. We got passed all of them." Claire panted, out of breath.

"That was insane. I'm never doing that again." Chris replied.

"I hope we can get to the orphanage now."

"According to the map and what Mr. Kendo told us, it should be a little further and across another street."

Once they were inside the park, they kept their weapons and still had their guard up. They weren't out of danger yet. There was no real way to know what could be crawling here. All of Raccoon City was infested by zombies and other creatures. Looking around, they could see something colorful in the distance. It was a double door with a blue raccoon and what appeared to be a crudely painted giraffe colored red with white spots. Chris could read the words on the sign above the doors which said 'Raccoon City Orphanage.' They ran up to the double doors and went inside, securing it with the bolt. Chris stuck the sword in the ground, deciding that he no longer needed it. He would like to keep it, but he didn't find the proper scabbard nor was there any room on him to sheath it.

"Finally..." Chris grinned, staring at the building before them. _Don't worry Sherry, we're coming._

"We- We did it...!" Claire said once more.

Chris actually gave a smile and they both briefly laughed at the seemingly impossible feat they've just achieved. They were really happy and relieved that they survived this onslaught together. Claire then shifted her focus back at their main objective.

"C'mon, let's go find Sherry."

"After you." Chris followed behind.

* * *

 

(Art Coming Soon)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter inspired by Gravenimages fanfic.
> 
> Next Chapter: G-Monster


	17. G-Monster

Chris and Claire couldn't be any more relieved than right now. After what it seemed to be hours, they finally arrived at the orphanage. They even took the shortcut Kendo had advised them to avoid due to large numbers of zombies in the area, but they managed to get through because of their skills, teamwork and determination. 

The building of the orphanage was right in front of them but most surprisingly, it was still relatively intact. It was as if the outbreak hasn't affected it in any way, being very nice looking and a great place to have kids. There was a path made of rocks and cement that leads to the entrance of the building. Around the path, was some grass with a wooden swing bed, a playground set, monkey bars and a silver colored slide. Claire got her handgun ready while Chris closely followed behind as they walked on the path, reaching the small staircase leading to the double door entrance. However, the doors were chained on the outside.

"Dammit, how the hell are we supposed to get in?" Claire asked, looking frustrated.

"Wait, I think I can do this."

Chris walked up to the door and pulled on the chains, using the limited Kryptonian strength he had. He grimaced as he pulled but was starting to warp the iron chains. Again, Claire was seeing this; another great feat of strength. Within the next few seconds, Chris finally snapped the chains from the handles and opened the door, dusting his hands in the process. 

As they stepped inside, they took a look around at their surroundings. There were toys all around, a multicolored ABC carpet with different pictures of animals, a toy house for the kids to play, drawings on the wall, a frame with more drawings made by kids among many other things. So far, it seemed like there was nothing unusual as this is exactly how an orphanage should look like. Everything was in perfect condition and there doesn't seem like there were any zombies around with how everything looks intact. This place was still standing as if it nothing happened to it, especially on the outside of the building. However, there was a door on their left that was already destroyed, as if someone axed through it. Certain lights were on, meaning this place still has electricity, or that it could be a backup generator working. It was nothing like the police station which was in chaos and a disaster.  

The only problem was that there wasn't a single soul inside the place. It was completely empty and there doesn't seem to be anyone around. Chris immediately got worried thinking of Sherry, not knowing where she possibly could be now. 

"Hello!?" Claire called out, still with a hint of frustration. "We have the pendant!"

There was no response.

"I don't like this. Something's not right... I mean, not about the place, it looks good and all but where are all the children? Orphanages are supposed to be full of children." Chris stated worriedly.

"I know. I have a bad feeling too."

 _Sherry better be all right for Irons' sake. If he even lays a single hand on her, I will show him the true meaning of justice._ That's what Chris' mind was telling him. He also remembers reading the taxidermy logs very well, which made him on edge. It's safe to assume that Irons could have some other sick and twisted obsessions. Despite these thoughts, Chris refused to dwell too much on the negative; he has to think positive and hopeful. After all, he is wearing the symbol of hope. 

There was no one at the reception desk so now was time to do an extensive search. Both decided to start on this floor before going upstairs into the nursery. When they looked around, they noticed that was some more things inside such as tables, chairs, cabinets, more toys and playthings around.

"Sherry? ... Sherry, are you here!?" Claire called out but there was still no response.

However, Chris noticed small US youth size 4 shoe indents on another multicolored carpet. To be precise, the indents had the "waffle sole" which came from VANS sneakers and Chris instantly remembers that Sherry indeed wore red VANS.

"Hey, check it out. Sherry's been here." He pointed at the shoe prints.

"Well, no sign of anyone or her in here... Let's go back downstairs." Claire sighed

When they went back down, they decided to go through the door that had been destroyed. They found themselves in a corridor with a red-gold carpet on the floor and fancy oil paintings on the wall. As they were about to reach the end of the corridor, Irons suddenly jumped out and grabbed Claire's shoulders forcefully. However, Chris grabbed the chief's arms and easily overpowered his grip, releasing Claire and throwing him back into the wall.

"You okay?" 

"Yeah." Claire nodded.

Chris' eyes widened when he looked at Irons more closely. The left side of his face was red and severely burned, making it obvious that something harmful had touched his skin. Irons seemed like he was very angry as he slowly got himself up and glared at the two.

"You two...Your fault...!"

"What?" Claire didn't know what the man was on about.

"Took... too... long!" He managed to croak out.

"What happened?!"

"What have you done with Sherry?!" Chris demanded, losing his patience.

"Damn you, William!" Irons choked out.

Suddenly, he gave a scream as something burst out from his chest, spraying blood and gore everywhere.

"Oh my god! ... Jesus Christ!" Claire's voice trembled in horror.

It was some sort of small, grotesque creature that shocked the two. Chris immediately noticed that what just happened was strikingly familiar to a scene in the 1986 movie "Aliens," but he didn't know how this could have possibly happened to Irons. Chris instinctively dodged to the side as small creature ran down the corridor at a swift speed. Nonetheless, both were still shocked at what they just witnessed. Irons had a big hole on his chest as blood was coming out of his nose, ears and mouth; he was obviously dead. 

"He didn't deserve this." Chris said solemnly.

Even though this man was a sick, sadistic and corrupt lowlife, he didn't deserve to die like this. Chris' anger towards Irons partially vanished and pitied him instead, but he was still asking himself why that man needed Sherry's pendant. Not only that, and he mentioned some man called William, but of course, neither of them knew who that was. He didn't appear to become a zombie, so this might be the work of another type of virus. Chris knew there were so many questions to all this but he hasn't any clue where or how to get the answers. 

"Sherry...?" Claire called out.

* * *

 

They entered a door where they found more stuffed animals on display, showing how much the chief loves taxidermy, but the room was a mess. There was a body of a pale young woman trapped between tables. Looks like she's been dead for a while. Chris instantly made the connection that Irons referred to her as a 'pig' in the taxidermy log from earlier and had the intention to stuff her and join his collection. Behind some curtains, there was an open trapdoor and ladder at the end of the room leading down. On the floor, Chris noticed a large photograph of a family portrait, but the frame and protective glass were cracked. Upon closer inspection, it caught his attention; it was picture of Sherry with whom appeared to be her parents.

The mother had blond hair and blue eyes with a neutral, uncaring expression on her face. She wore an expensive white blouse, white pants with black high-heels. The father had dirty blond hair and hazel eyes with a rather unhappy looking expression. He wore a white polo shirt, black V-neck sweater, brown trousers and brown work shoes. Then there was Sherry, appearing sharply dressed as she wore a nice white blouse and skirt with white socks and black Mary-Jane shoes. Unlike her parents, she was the only one who was actually smiling. Turning the photo over, there was a date that said 'March 27, 2018.' It was taken earlier this year.

"Hey Claire, look at this. It's Sherry..." Chris showed her the photo.

"Why does that creep have that photo?"

Claire took a brief look before quickly turning her attention to the trapdoor and signaled for Chris to come over.

"I don't know. But, I'll keep it for later...Irons said that he knows her parents; they may have been friends. But Sherry doesn't seem know him, that's why she was really scared when he approached us back at the garage."

Chris took the laminated picture out of the broken frame and neatly rolled it up to put in one of his hip pouches.

"You might be right. Hopefully, she's close and alright." Claire responded.

The duo didn't want to waste any more time, so they climbed down the ladder and found themselves in a poorly lit area. There was some oil barrels and black garbage bags in the corner. However, they had a strong hunch that Sherry was close. The place looked like a basement as they climbed down a cement staircase. As they continued walking, they heard sounds not too far as soon as they reached the bottom. 

"Sherry, where are you!?"

"It's us Sherry, you're safe now!" Chris followed.

Behind a metal grated fence, Sherry was sitting on the ground with her knees tucked to her chest. When she heard familiar voices, she immediately stood up and approached the side of the fence. 

"Claire! Chris!" Sherry's eyes lit up with excitement.

They saw the little girl standing behind a fence but they needed to get around it. Chris smiled and sighed with relief, happy to see that she was okay. He was worried and afraid that Irons might have done something to her, or worse, the same thing that recently happened to the chief might have happened to her. She was just a little girl who was lost, looking for her mother while not knowing what had happened to her father. Their reunion was short lived as a loud bump was heard coming from the ladder. Something else was down here with them.

Sherry gave a loud squeal as she saw a very tall mysterious figure advance towards them. Chris' eyes widened seeing the trench coat stalker again; this time it was walking faster than before. This guy wasn't planning on giving up and he just won't die. Chris quickly picked up a folded aluminium ladder that was next to him and threw it over the fence and at the giant. It staggered and briefly stalled when it got hit in the chest.

"You know, this guy really is starting to annoy me." Chris quipped.

"GO, GO, GO!!!" Claire screamed.

"Come on."

Chris picked Sherry up with one arm and carried her as she wrapped her arms around the side of his neck, clinging to him like a monkey. He ran ahead of Claire since he was faster but that thing was still behind them.

"Claire! It's behind you!" Sherry panicked.

"Don't stop! Keep going ahead of me!" Claire told Chris.

"I'm not leaving you behind."

"Hurry!" Sherry cried.

The trio continued to run, reaching a corridor full of pipes before turning right and approached a wide path with railings, which led to an open elevator right in front of them. 

"Everyone inside?" Chris double checked.

Claire desperately kept pressing the button to go down as the trench giant had just caught up to them. The tall paled man pulled the gates with his bare hands, prying the steel doors apart with its pure strength. Chris settled Sherry down who was in tears and almost crying, while focusing his strength in his right arm. _THWACK!_ He had jumped and punched the trench man square in the face, letting all his power connect with the blow. It knocked the trench stalker, staggering at least three meters back. Claire and Sherry both flinched at the impact and sound, as if they felt power of his blow. 

Before the giant could recover, it suddenly got impaled in the chest, by a large sharp claw. Looking behind it, Chris and Claire gasped at seeing the same creature thought to have been defeated at the underground passage beneath the police station. 

"Daddy...?"

Sherry recognized the side of the human face of the creature as her father. 

"What did you just say?" Claire turned to her.

Chris' eyes widened in shock as he took a closer look at the monster's human face. Remembering from the photo, Sherry's right.

Another grotesque head has emerged next to the human one. This new one, was definitely not human. It's like this thing was transforming and evolving into something new.

"Oh my god..." Claire gulped.

Whatever it was, it has gotten a lot stronger as it completely ripped the left torso of trench man, spraying blood, guts and gore around. Claire and Sherry both screamed upon witnessing this. Chris covered Sherry's eyes with his hand from the graphic sight, but the girl had already seen it. They two girls were breathing uncontrollably and gasping.

Chris remembered he fought the pale trench man by using Torquasm-Rao and focusing his limited strength. It was enough to beat and knock him out, but he always came back. However, this thing before them was a real threat, showing that it has become stronger than the giant. 

"DADDY, NO!" Sherry cried.

Before Chris can react, the creature jumped at the elevator, dislodging it due to its weight. 

"Oh no..." Chris said softly.

He wrapped his body and cape around both Sherry and Claire in his best efforts to protect them. The girls both screamed as the elevator plummeted down at rapid speed. It went down so fast that it crashed as it landed to the bottom, breaking the elevator around them. Chris did the best he could to protect them but everything around him turned blurry then nearly black. 

* * *

 

_**\- Two minutes later -** _

Chris had his eyes closed, still trying to get up. After what happened, his eyes slowly opened. His head was pounding, seeing stars, everything was spinning and he felt like crap. He had never felt like this before. A fall like this would have absolutely killed any human being but even with his denser body tissue and muscles, it didn't save him from falling unconscious. After everything he's been through, his limited durability, energy and stamina had indeed reached its limit. 

He was able to see Sherry on top of his body, trying to wake him and Claire up. At least, he had succeeded in protecting Sherry which allowed her survive the fall relatively unharmed. _Wait... What about Claire...?_

"Chris...? Claire? Are you alright? Can you hear me...? You have to get up. He's going to get us."

Sherry called out, almost in tears and looked around.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

Sherry looked around once more and heard large footsteps approaching them before she ran off, scared, leaving Chris and Claire behind. The footsteps continued but ended up walking past the two, seemingly ignoring them. 

Sherry continued to run down a long corridor but when she looked back, her foot suddenly tripped and she fell, making a short squeal before falling hard on the concrete ground, scraping one of her knees at the same time. Sherry's vision blurred then went black. The last thing she heard was the same giant footsteps coming towards her.

* * *

 

Chris didn't hear any response from Claire.  _No, she can't be dead, just knocked out._  He was still stunned and his head was still hurting, he couldn't speak to anyone now that he was awake. He then felt his right hand hurt as if it stung and saw that it was against a large and very sharp piece of shrapnel. Nonetheless, he's never felt that stinging sensation before. He slowly moved his right hand in front of his sight to get a better look and saw a red line across the top of his hand. He had sustained a cut but it wasn't bleeding. He couldn't believe it; he's never been bruised or had his skin cut in his entire life. He knew that when empowered by the sun, penetrating a Kryptonian's skin would be virtually impossible. He realized that even when Kryptonians sustain a cut or injury without their powers, it doesn't bleed out which is unlike humans. Still, the wound won't heal immediately until he gets his powers back.

Shortly, a woman arrived, appearing in her mid-thirties with blue eyes and blond hair tied into a pony tail and flowed on her right side. She is wearing a white lab coat with a grey blouse, jeans, tan stockings, red high-heeled pumps and red glasses tucked on her blouse. 

"Wake up! Wake up! Open your eyes... Hold still..." The woman said.

She was checking Claire's eyes with a small flashlight, trying to wake her. Chris felt relieved to see her moving and that she was alive. Looking around, he saw the elevator was completely destroyed. That creature that was once Sherry's father is definitely getting stronger, especially with the way it killed the giant trench stalker. Chris hoped that they won't end up running into that grotesque creature again. The blond woman stopped paying attention to Claire as she started studying her surroundings.

Chris was able to get up and walked over to Claire, seeing if she was alright. She was bleeding on the right side of her head, but it was nothing too serious. When he used his body and cape to protect them, it was only enough to fully protect Sherry as Claire was knocked out and more hurt than he was. Chris helped her to her feet while Claire had her hand on her side in pain, but still kept her eyes on the blond woman. Chris recognized the woman from the family photo from Irons' office that he took. She was indeed Sherry's mother. _But wait... Where is Sherry? Where did she go?_

"Not infected." The woman was done checking Claire's eyes and turned to Chris. "And you...?" 

"I'm not infected either. Where's Sherry?" 

"Sherry... Sherry's fine..."

The woman was focusing more on the destroyed elevator. 

"Do you know Sherry?" Claire asked.

She didn't seem to recognize the woman from photo.

"Such an impressive display of strength... We have to assess the situation." The woman said, ignoring their questions.

"Hey, are you listening?" Chris was starting to get annoyed.

"Who are you...?" The woman asked.

She had her back turned while touching the screen of what appeared to be a Surface Tablet, likely taking notes.

"I'm Claire."

"Chris."

"I didn't foresee this..." The woman continued.

"Excuse me, where is she? ... Hello?" Claire walked closer to her.

Chris merely raised an eyebrow. "You wanna tell us what's going on here?"

He decided not to tell her that he knew that she was Sherry's mother. There'd be no point saying anything if she just keeps ignoring them anyway. _But what is up with her? Why is she so rude?_

"What...? Oh, Annette." The woman finally introduced herself. "Tell me, what happened to William?"

"I don't know. Who's- who's that?" Claire asked.

"The creature responsible for this."

"What...?"

"Can you help us find Sherry?"

"Seems to be evolving much faster than I expected..." Annette continued to ignore the questions.

"Where are you going?"

"Hey! You still haven't told us what's going on." Chris wasn't liking Annette's rudeness.

"Look, I don't have time to play twenty questions. Everything is under control."

Both Claire and Chris gave Annette "huh?" looks on their faces.

"Like hell it is."

"We need to find Sherry-" Claire persisted.

"My daughter is not your concern!" Annette angrily told them.

"We'll make it our concern... Listen, I already know that-" Chris retorted and then tried to tell Annette that he knew.

However, she had already hastily walked off and closed the nearest metal door. She really didn't want them to find Sherry.

"Well, she sure helped us a lot... but Sherry's...  _her_ daughter?" Claire was surprised.

"Didn't you recognize her from the photo I showed you earlier?"

"No... I guess not. I could hardly remember what was on that besides Sherry."

"Are you feeling alright? I mean, you're right temple is bleeding and the fall probably would have-"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little banged up. If you hadn't have protected me or Sherry, we'd be dead... I couldn't believe you survived that entire impact though. Anyone would've died."

Claire then noticed a red line on Chris' hand, a relatively minor two-inch cut.

"That's all you got from that? It's not even bleeding."

"It was actually from a sharp piece of shrapnel." Chris stated.

"Wow, you're so lucky."

"Honestly, it kinda still stings a bit. I've actually never been cut or bruised before in my life."

"What...? Don't be silly, anyone would have been in some point of their life-"

"Never mind that. I'll explain later... We gotta find Sherry. Again." Chris quickly changed the subject.

"Agreed. Annette may not want us around, but it doesn't mean we're just gonna give up."

"That's the spirit." Chris smiled.

* * *

 

They decided to have a look around. If Annette wasn't going to help them find Sherry, then they will find her on their own. She surely couldn't have gone far, in a place like this. Looking around the place, besides the destroyed elevator, there were some steel crates. One of them had machine gun ammo which is compatible for Claire's submachine gun so she took them. There was only one door in the area which is where Annette went and she must be long gone by now. 

It was hard to believe that she was Sherry's mother and she seemed like her work was more important than her own family. In fact, Sherry was nothing like her own mother. Sherry was shy, timid, insecure and vulnerable but also well-mannered, kind, sweet, intelligent and caring. Annette was just cynical, ignorant, rude and seemingly obsessed with her own work. Both Chris and Claire knew all that.

Since Annette works for Umbrella, she must know what has happened to her husband and why he turned into such a creature. It clearly can't be the same virus that turns people or animals into zombies. It has to be something different, something stronger and darker. However, their objective hasn't changed; they have to find Sherry before leaving this city.

They entered the same door Annette entered and found themselves inside a poorly lit office. There was a desk, chair, a computer and printer, a telephone and a metal shelf but there was nothing interesting there. They then spotted a whiteboard with a piece of paper on a plastic clipboard. Claire picked it up and showed it to Chris who was taking a good read at it. 

**_Report: About "G"_ **

_The G-Virus trial will be entering its final phase very soon. Before "G," the new creature that will surpass humans is born,_  
_allowing me to predict a few things about its biology and biological functions._

**_Intelligence_ **

_The subject's intelligence will begin to drop immediately, with their linguistic abilities disappearing within a matter of days._  
_Finally, they will lose their capacity to reason and their humanity. G will be a creature of pure instinct, driven only by a need to_  
_survive and reproduce._

**_Physical Abilities_ **

_Due to its unusually accelerated cell division—evolution—it will be highly adaptable to any environment.  
Furthermore, with its amazing ability to repair itself through regeneration, it will be extremely difficult to completely kill it with any conventional small firepower._

_**Reproductive Behavior** _

_G's most remarkable feature will be its intense desire to reproduce. It will instinctively search out humans with DNA that closely_  
_matches its own and implant an embryo in them. But the chances of success are very low and if the DNA is not a close enough of_  
_a match, an underdeveloped G creature will be produced instead. I suppose the only ones who might be a close enough of a match_  
_would be any biological children of the subject, though..._

Chris is starting to piece it together and turned to Claire.

"The G-Virus... While we were in the elevator, Sherry recognized that thing as her father and she's right. Didn't you recognize him?"

"I heard Sherry call it her daddy, but, I never got a good look at its face." Claire admitted.

"Here."

Chris took out the photo he kept and showed it Claire. As she squinted her eyes staring at the photo, she became shocked.

"My god... You're right!"

"Now we know why it's after Sherry. It wants to reproduce using her since she's his daughter..."

"This is sick as shit! It's fucked up! Umbrella is fucking insane. They're responsible for everything, especially this whole outbreak! What could they be thinking doing all this? A creature with no reasoning that acts on pure instinct? Something that is supposed to surpass humanity? It's bullshit. I can't even imagine Sherry becoming a thing like her father."

"If everything is true, we need to get to Sherry before he finds her... but does Annette know that he's after her?"

"She must know. She sounded like she knows all about G."

Chris shook his head. "Unbelievable, doesn’t she care of what could become of her own daughter?"

Chris was starting to lose his patience. _I will not allow this to happen. Superman II always saves people just like Superman does. Sherry needs_ _me... and Claire..._

Claire knew how Chris was feeling. She might have known little of Sherry, but she was already fond of the little girl. She didn't deserve such a horrible fate of becoming a monster like her father. The sooner they find her, the better. There was a door that leads out of the office so they tried to open it but they couldn't as it was a reinforced steel door. Chris even tried kicking it down but only managed to put a dent in it. Besides, thinking about it, he couldn't just go smashing every door in this facility.

There was no choice but to backtrack so they went back to the place where the destroyed elevator stood. As the duo returned, there was an opening in a metal railing that leads even further below, which was seemingly their best option if they wanted to advance. Chris volunteered to go first so if they ran into trouble, he should be the one to face it first. 

Claire followed a long corridor but as they turned to the right, their noses caught the scent of something horrid.

"Smells like a sewer..." Chris remarked.

It smelt so revolting to the point where they had to cover their noses. This was indeed the stench of a sewer. Reaching a dead end, the smell got even worse. They had to jump down.

Chris gave a sigh before jumping. "I never pictured myself doing this, but here goes..."

Claire was disgusted following him. They both landed in the disgusting water.

"Now, I'm gonna smell like shit... literally." She commented.

Chris knew that his Kryptonian supersuit won't smell like this when they get out of this though; that was a plus for him. Unfortunately, Claire's clothing obviously isn't made from Kryptonian fibers and she was gonna smell like that for a while. This was the worst place they could be in this mess and Claire honestly felt like throwing up. Even the police station which most places smelled of blood and corpses was way better than this.  _Having second thoughts? Yeah probably..._ She thought to herself.

However, Sherry came first, so they were willing to put up with this smell if it means they will find her. It was worse because there was garbage and waste among other things, not making the smell any easier. As disgusting as it is, this was an obvious place for zombies or other kinds of things to pop out which was just horrible. Claire's pants, boots and socks were already ruined from the dirty water whereas Chris' skinsuit and cape remained in pristine condition as always. This path had better take them to somewhere because it if it leads them to a dead end or nowhere, they're not going to be pleased.

"You know for a costume, it's pretty impressive how it still looks like new. Even though we've been wading in shit infested waters. My clothes are ruined." Claire commented while Chris just grinned.

A few minutes later, they finally made it out of the sewer waters by climbing onto a concrete ledge. It was a relief for them and they were happy to be out of that rancid place. Claire's clothes still had the stench while Chris' skinsuit remained totally unaffected. The duo found a tunneled corridor leading straight. Chris was remembering the copy of emails to Chief Irons and this man called W.B. mentioned something about increasing security in the sewers. It seemed strange why "W.B." would want that, unless there was something here that was worth protecting. Nonetheless, they were on the right track. If Annette was down here along with Sherry, them the sewers are more than what they seem. 

They climbed some stairs opening a steel door which was unlocked. They resumed walking up an iron staircase but there was something next to them and both stared at it.

"Cable car... Here?" Claire noted.

"It must lead out of this place."

A cable car, transportation for the sewers and obviously, it must lead to somewhere or out. They ignored it for now, since they probably don't have access to use it and they of course still need to find Sherry. They then climbed a ladder which led six meters up and entered through the nearest door into what looked like a control room. When they entered, there were three zombies inside so Chris drew his combat knife and stabbed it in the head. Claire fired her handgun, taking them down with headshots. It should be obvious they will be meeting more zombies here too since there isn't a safe place in this city. 

Once they had finished off the zombies, Claire picked up some flame rounds. It seemed like there was nothing interesting before they started searching through the place. There was a piece of paper on a desk next to a computer and the text got their attention.

**_Copy of Emails to Umbrella HQ_ **

_Director Owens_

_There are alarms going off all over NEST. I don't know what's going on, but I can hear gunfire and I can't reach my section chief._  
_We're trapped. Please send help ASAP._

_Director Owens  
_

_The situation here is dire. NEST has been contaminated with the virus. It's unbelievable. The failsafe system didn't activate at all._  
Is this the work of the outsiders? I can't imagine who else could it be. But why? Mayer and Kim are dead. I can't stop coughing.  
Why won't you answer me!?

_Director Owens  
_

_You...it was you all a_

"NEST?" Claire asked, puzzled.

"An Umbrella lab, it's my best guess..." Chris replied. "But it looks like the place was attacked. I don't why though."

"Trying to take G. It was explained from the emails Chief Irons received. Someone was after this virus and it was Umbrella themselves."

Chris was perplexed. "So you're saying Umbrella attacked their own lab, just to steal something created by one of their own employees?"

"Everyone at Umbrella is expendable. Those bastards don't care for anyone but themselves. They probably killed everyone that works in this lab so they'll be no witnesses."

"Except Annette. Maybe if we ask her, we might get some answers."

"Let's not forget, we're here for Sherry." Claire reminded.

"Of course. Then we leave this place."

* * *

 

^Claire, Chris and Sherry run from Mr. X (https://imgur.com/2o137o7)

^ Sherry tries to wake an unconscious Claire and semi-conscious Chris (https://i.imgur.com/vm7JSQ4)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: An Unpleasant Path


	18. An Unpleasant Path

After reading the 'Copy of E-mails to Umbrella,' they resumed their search. In one of the corners of the room, there was a platform where they could jump off to a lower level. They landed on another platform three meters below and they jumped again once more, landing in another floor. The two were now in what looked like a wide observation room which had a bulletin board, an LCD television, an office along with a wide, long glass window. Suddenly they heard a familiar voice on the P.A. system.

 _*Nooo... I wanna go home, please...*_ Sherry's little voice registered through the speakers.

_*Sherry... I told you, I cannot leave here until my work is done.*_

_*That’s what you always say*_ The little girl replied somberly.

As they approached the window, Chris gasped upon seeing Sherry on the other side and on a lower ground level. It looked like that she was in what looked like some sort of garbage disposal. As a matter of fact, that's the least safe place to be; not to mention horrid, unhygienic and repugnant. 

"Huh...? Sherry?" Claire whispered.

"Hey! Sherry!" Chris called out. 

Unfortunately the girl didn't hear nor notice them.  _The glass must be soundproof._

**_\- Inside the Garbage Disposal room -_ **

Annette was monitoring and speaking, or, more like interrogating her own daughter through a microphone and security camera. Wherever Annette was, she's most likely in a completely different room from where Chris and Claire are. 

 _*Why didn't you stay in the house? It was safe there!*_ Annette chastised.

Sherry felt upset. "Uh... I was scared. Those things were everywhere and-"

_*You should've called the police! That's what we taught you.*_

Annette continued to speak in a berating manner.

"I did, but nobody came. And you didn't answer your phone so-" Sherry's voice sounds like she was ready to cry.

_*Sherry, I don't have time for this!*_

Sherry was breathing heavily, grunting and gasping before she soon doubled over in pain and collapsed on the dirty ground. Something bad was clearly happening to her.

**_\- Observation room. Outside Garbage Disposal -_ **

"Oh no... Sherry! Sherry! We're coming...!" Claire looked on, greatly worried. She saw Sherry fall and pass out.

"No, no, no... NO!"

Chris punctuated in frustration, slamming his fist against the double paned ballistic glass, cracking it slightly.

"Hold on Sherry we'll be right there." Claire said softly.

Chris was greatly unhappy and even arguably angry at Annette's comments and how she was treating her daughter.  _Seriously? The police? What was that_ _gonna do?_   They've already been to the police station and there's no one left alive with the exception of Leon.  _How can this woman be so_ _naïve? Hasn't she noticed that Raccoon City was going under a zombie outbreak? That there are almost no survivors left?_ _She should be grateful that her own daughter was still alive. Instead, she was salty at her because apparently, her work is_ _more important than her own daughter._  

Chris was starting dislike this woman, mainly because of her actions and behavior.  _What kind of parent would leave their child behind_ _while she goes to work in the middle of a super-deadly outbreak?_ It's no wonder why Sherry left; there was nowhere left to run. It's no wonder why she immediately trusted him and Claire. This girl deserves better than having self centered parents. One had already turned into a monster and is currently after her, while the other just doesn't care and wants to finish whatever is she's working on.

"This is not good... There's something happening to her." Chris told Claire. "And Annette still isn't going to do a damn thing about this?"

"Too busy with shit to help her own daughter."

"You know what? If she's not going to do something about her, then we will. It's better that way. We have to get Sherry. Now."

"Right. 'Mommy of the year' wants her to stay in that garbage disposal."

* * *

 

Like Chris, Claire was also very unhappy with how Annette is treating her daughter.  _What could be more_ _important to do than the well-being of her own child?_ Now, it's best to put their anger aside and maintain focus in saving the little girl. In the same room where they were, there was a document that got their attention next to the TV, so Chris picked it up. It surprised him that at the bottom right corner, there was a symbol of two 'Knight' chess pieces, like a seal. It was called KNIGHTS Construction Co.

_**Sewers Company Pamphlet** _

_Greetings from the CEO_

_Thank you for your interest in Knights Construction Company. Over the past 20 years, we have had the honor to work on the_  
_sewer system of some of our country's greatest cities, while never losing sight of two core principles of "playfulness and superior_  
_industrial design."_

_At KCC, we believe that just because our work is subterranean, it doesn't mean our designs have to be sub-par._

_More refined than a queen, more polished than a Knight, and as pleasant as a pawn, our work is sure to bring great victory to_  
_everyone involved!_

_May we all meet on the field someday.  
_

_Knight Construction Company CEO  
_

_World Chess Alliance Honorary Member  
_

_Raccoon Chess Club Honorary Advisor  
_

_Fischer Chess Lovers Guild Honorary Director  
_

_R.B. Fischer_

However, this information didn't seem that useful for their current situation. There wasn't a single clue on how to get to Sherry but by the time they picked up the sewers map, the 'chess' information became very useful. They have already wasted enough time here so they need to keep on going forward. The duo saw a reinforced heavy steel vault-like door closed, saying 'WARNING KEEP OUT.' It definitely looked like something interesting, or even a way to Sherry, but even if Chris tried, his limited strength would not be able to open it. Next to it were what looked like three power boxes of some sort. 

The first panel had a hole and a red light, like something's supposed to be plugged in to it. The second box had what looked like a chess piece and Claire removed it. It was an electronic part with the end shaped as the Knight piece. The third panel had a picture that read 'Knight Plug' in which means they obviously needed to put the Knight Plug in this one. Putting it in, the red light turned green, meaning that it was correct. There was a desk with another bulletin board and a note. They hoped it will tell them more about the power boxes.

**_Unlocking the U-Area Door_ **

_I lost the thing that tells you how to unlock the door to the U-Area during the last mad dash of a transfer. I know you have to stick_  
_one plug into each terminal, but if anyone remembers which plug goes where, please be a pal and share by posting the info on this_  
_board._

On the other side of the wall, there were three more power boxes, opposite of the other three now totaling the six altogether. Chris was able to figure out what they may need to do if they wanted to open that secure door. They just needed to put the plugs in the correct terminal, matching the icon. Hopefully, this puzzle wasn't going to be tedious, like the one with the medallions back at the police station. Chris knew that if it weren't for Elliot's notebook, they would've never figured out the correct combinations to retrieve the three medallions from the statues. If that was the case, they also would've never met Sherry and God knows what might have happened to her back there. 

Claire took the plug from the fourth panel which was the Bishop Plug. However, not all terminals had an icon to where put the right plug. Now it looks like they will really have to think things through to solve this puzzle. Chris took a guess by putting the Bishop plug in one of the unknown terminals and he got it right as the red light turned green. Claire looked at him and smiled.

" _Uh_... Wild guess." He shot back.

However, some plugs were nowhere to be found so they won't be opening the door for now. It wasn't going to be that easy.

Going through a new door, the found themselves in a vast area but it didn't look like they'll be able to get to the other side since there was a large gap. However, they saw a control panel with lever a red light so Chris pulled it down and the light changed to green. A loud sound of machinery was heard as a large steel platform rose from above until stopping at their level, now creating a bridge which will now allow them to cross over. Chris thought that ever since arriving at the sewers, it's been easier. There was few zombies here and there, but that was hardly anything to what they've been through since they arrived at Raccoon City. As long as they don't run into Sherry's father again, they will be fine. 

It worried Chris at how strong the creature must have become because he killed the seemingly invincible trench coat giant without little effort. True, Chris fought and beat that guy, but he was able to get up like all of those attacks didn't hurt it. _Just how strong is that creature now?_   _It would be more than likely that it'll stronger_ _than me. Even Torquasm-Rao may not even help me out this time._

That's why they had so many strong weapons and ammunition, hoping it will be enough to stop him for good this time. It really was a good thing that they ran into Kendo.

Crossing the bridge, they noticed that the left side seemingly went deeper into the facility while the right had a door at the end that had a white ‘EXIT’ sign with red lights. They decided to go to the left and straight ahead, where they saw a red T-bar tool. Claire took it, knowing that they'll need it in the long run. They kept going climbing down the stairs until reaching a dead end. There was nothing of interest so the duo backtracked and tried using the cable car but weren't able to. A buzzer sounded as it had an electronic lock on a small green screen with a message saying that an 'ID Wristband' is required to operate it.

 _*Access denied. An ID Wristband is required to access the cable car.*_ The AI's voice sounded.

So they went back to the exit door, since it was the next best choice. Going through the door, it was dark, so Claire used the flashlight but remembered that it was dead. Fortunately, Kendo had also given them some 'AAA' batteries that should compatible with their flashlight. She put the new batteries in and it works again. Taking a staircase down, there was a zombie at the bottom. Chris took the chance because it had its back turned and hadn't noticed them yet. He stabbed the zombie in the head with his combat knife. Going through the right corner, there was a lever with a red light above.  The light turned green, giving them access to another sewerage tunnel. Both looked at each other and groaned at the same time, knowing they have to wade through filthy water again.

" _Ugggghhh,_ Not again..." Claire groaned.

"Well, if it's the only way to go... then..."

They grudgingly jumped in and turned right. For some reason, Claire has already taken her grenade launcher out, having a bad feeling. The weapon still had a few more liquid-nitro rounds left as well as more flame rounds as well as acid rounds. Crossing over more piles of garbage and other filth, they left the waters, climbing onto another ledge on their right and heading into an area where there was a blue drop-door next to a sign of a T-bar tool going into the groove of a hydrant. There were some arrows showing the direction where to turn. They both looked at each other and the red tool; they knew what to do. Claire gave Chris the T-bar handle and he turned it in the right direction, making the door open upwards.

They then crossed a straight corridor where there was a small desk and a key. It had a red tag with white letters that said 'SEWERAGE: NO ENTRY ZONE.' They will be needing this key if they wanted to travel further into the sewers and possibly, get to Sherry. There was a ladder leading about four meters down into more garbage while ahead, there was a long staircase leading up. They took that way, facing another door that could be opened with the red T-bar handle. Unfortunately, the hydrant was destroyed, so they couldn't open it so this left the two with the choice to take the ladder down.

Once again, they were going to wade through rancid water. To top things all off, smell was getting even worse when they climbed down. It was dark, so Claire kept using the flashlight. This place was creepy compared to the others. Claire really wanted to leave this place and find Sherry. The extremely unbearable smell was sickening her to the point she might actually throw up sooner or later. She even noticed that Chris was holding his breath again; it was really that bad.

"Enjoying your stay?" Claire started.

She thought of starting a conversation in order get her mind off this stomach-churning place.

"Nope, never did... But I've been in far worse places than this."

"Join the club. Nobody wants to smell like shit... but I bet you're enjoying your costume. It's apparently bullet-proof, waterproof, smell-proof and shit-proof."

Chris just smiled before turning serious.

"Still, I can't believe that Annette will let Sherry stay in a place like this. This is no place for a child... I know this city isn't safe but here? It feels ten times worse than the police station."

"She didn't look too good when we saw her collapse. I hope she's alright."

"We'll find Sherry and get her out."

Chris gave a soft sigh, having something else on his mind.

"You okay?" Claire sounded worried.

"Yeah I am... Well, apart from the fact that I'm in this dump. I'm still trying to get over the fact I'm no longer in my world and into a whole different one with zombies and other creepy things created by some evil company. Even though where I'm from, nothing is impossible... But... yeah, trying to make the best of it."

Claire sympathized for him. She was still having a hard time believing his crazy story but it didn't mean she was going stay silent and not say anything. Chris was her friend, companion and has already saved her a couple of times. That was something she will never forget.

"I'm sure your friends, parents and your little brother are doing fine."

"Yeah... I know they can take care of themselves... most of the time that is, but I still have a right to worry. Sometimes, I feel like that I'm the only one who could protect them."

"I'm sure they're all worrying about you too. Especially, your girlfriend." _Wait, what? Why did I just say that?_

Chris did a double take turning to Claire, confused. "Girlfriend?"

Claire didn't mean to say that and cursed to herself inwardly; she wasn’t thinking straight. Remembering that she was in a city infested by zombies, trying to survive, help Sherry and find a way out. There was no time to be thinking if Chris was single or not. It wasn't like her in the slightest. When she recently started college, she never thought about boys, or even girls for the matter. This whole situation was so different than starting a higher education level.

"Sorry. I'm sure you must have one... Right?"

"Um, well... yeah actually. Her name's Jasmine Ford. She was a junior and I was a senior. First time we met, I saved her from getting run over by a car while she was crossing. We were together but in her senior year, she got accepted into Harvard University, in Massachusetts to be a neurologist. Since we're so far away, we couldn't really date. It's not all bad, we're still together, being good friends and in contact with each other. Through Skype or good old Facebook Messenger that is."

"I shouldn't be bringing up such a stupid ass topic. I'm sorry, Chris."

"No, no. It's okay... really."

"I guess you must be lucky. I mean, you can really do things that people can't. Does she know about your... you know... what you can do?"

"No, not at all. Even though there's been many times I wanted to tell her... Only my family, my most trustworthy friends and mentor Kal. My parents told me I had to keep it a secret. Yes, it was hard but trust me, if you can do extraordinary things, you don't want that kind of attention... I was afraid that people will call me a freak."

"Oh, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked that either."

"Like I said. It's fine." Chris smiled.

"But suppose I did believe your crazy ass story. You know, the one where you said you're an alien from a planet called Krypton and where you're some superhero... How could you be a 'superhero' that everyone sees but keep yourself a secret at the same time?"

Chris let out another sigh. "Short story is, I live a double life. Secret identity. As Christopher, I look like a nerdy software and computer geek. I just wear normal clothes and a pair of glasses. When I'm out, doing what I need to do, saving people, I look and wear what you see me now."

"You're kidding? How could you possibly fool someone by wearing a pair of glasses? That never works."

"You'd be surprised. People tend to overlook things a lot... Tell me this; say you didn't know me... haven't met me before. If you saw a random nerd wearing glasses and is in to computers and technology, would you really think he's a superhero in disguise?"

"No... I guess not... I never thought of it that way."

"Maybe one day, if possible. You, Sherry and maybe Leon could come to my world after we survive this. Meet my family."

"I'd love that. Sure... But it still doesn't mean I believe the craziest parts of your story."

Chris put his hands up. "Understood. But since you've asked me first, how about you? That is, if you don't mind talking about it. You never mentioned where you were from." 

"My brother and I grew up in Brooklyn, with my family. Even after my parents died and my brother Chris later moved to Raccoon City with his friend, I remained and still live in Brooklyn. During those times, I never thought of having a relationship. I was more into my studies and my bike, foremost. I love traveling with it. Crossing the road, feeling the blowing wind on your face... It's a great feeling while listening to some rock music."

"You like rock music?" Chris turned surprised and smiling. "What type? I like rock too, but I'd listen to anything... I even play the guitar as a hobby." 

"Really? That's awesome! I listen to all kinds of it. Classic, like The Beatles, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, AC-DC, Guns N' Roses which are my favorite. Sometimes, I like to listen to heavier stuff like Anthrax, Metallica, Iced Earth too, can't forget those guys. Anyway, riding on my Harley Davidson makes me relax and all my troubles go away. Best gift my brother Chris could ever give me for my birthday, and that reminds me. I left it back at the gas station. Fuck!"

Claire cursed, reminding herself of her mistake. She hoped her Harley Davidson motorcycle was okay and that it better be left untouched like she left it. 

"Sorry about your bike. I'm sure it must be doing all right... Especially since you rode it all the way from Brooklyn."

"That is, if no zombie has decided to take it for a joy ride."

Chris laughed at her comment.

Claire just smiled and it didn't surprise her that he had a girlfriend and is still talking to her, despite the fact that they're very distant. Chris is cute, strong, dorky, kind and he's great with children, seeing his interaction with Sherry. He really seemed like a superhero even though she still had trouble believing his story.

* * *

 

"Claire...? This doesn't look good."

She saw what Chris was looking at. There were some dead bodies among the piles of trash and something has emerged from the chest of one of them on the right. It looked just like the small creature that emerged from Irons' chest back at the orphanage. This really gave Chris an even bigger and worse feeling than before.

"Holy crap!" Claire said, alarmed.

"Another 'second rate' chestburster. Ever seen that old movie Aliens?" 

"A while ago. It used to scare me when I was younger... This is getting worse..."

Chris took hold of his shotgun for the first time in a while, knowing the safety was still off. He heard something moving from the waters. Turning to Claire, she nodded as she heard it too. There was something in the sewer waters and they knew right away that it was bad news. Chris' feeling got worse as something did emerge from the dirty waters. It was a creature with a yellow eye, similar to the one Sherry's father has become. Claire fired a liquid-nitro round, freezing it briefly while Chris followed firing twice, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

A second eye creature emerged, this time behind them and Chris called for Claire to run. It was hard to do so when they were in the thick, murky and disgusting water. Suddenly, another creature emerged and was able to grab Claire with its grotesque mutated arm. Chris immediately fired his shot gun making it release her. She hit it with the freezing round and it was shattered by Chris using the butt of the shotgun. He reloaded while Claire has run out of liquid-nitro rounds, so she changed to acid rounds. 

They continued running the sewerage waters while more of those monsters were appearing. If they resembled Sherry's dad, the could be related to 'G.' Remembering what they read from the G-virus report, if the person that was inserted with a G embryo and it wasn't the right DNA to adapt, it could be under-developed. Maybe these things were failures from merging with G, which means William must have infected many people in an attempt to survive according to its instincts, or could possibly also be Umbrella's doing. This explains why that creature was after Sherry.

The duo felt relieved as they saw a metal door at the end but two more of those G monsters emerged. Chris threw a flash grenade while Claire threw a hand grenade. The flash and the explosion hurt them, giving the duo time to escape and move forward. They finally left the waters and entered through the door. They stood behind it, Claire was panting while Chris was beyond relieved and took the chance to reload his shot gun again. Those things could be worse than lickers. If it weren't for their weaponry, it would have been much harder to get past them. Chris thought of actually fighting with his combat knife and bare hands. Maybe they weren't as strong as William and they didn't seem to be evolving and growing in size. The sewers were starting to look like a maze, seemingly more complicated than the police station. One thing was for sure, they have had enough of this horrid place.

"That was the worst place... like ever." Chris remarked.

However he knew that they will be backtracking.

"Couldn't agree more." Claire replied.

* * *

 

^ Chris and Claire witness Sherry being interrogated/scolded by Annette. (https://imgur.com/i3iE1d5)

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Puzzling Puzzles


	19. Puzzling Puzzles

Chris and Claire were still sighing in relief, standing behind the door. The place they were just in, hasn't been the first time since arriving at the sewers where they had to wade through that dirty water. It was alright for Chris' indestructible supersuit but Claire's clothes were going to stick with that smell for a long time. Now, the new area that they've arrived in, is whole lot different. They encountered new types of creatures; not zombies, dogs, or lickers, but things that can only be created by the G-virus. Rejected samples from William after inserting G-embryos into countless people and one of them, being Chief Irons. 

Even though there were so many of those things, they managed to get across thanks to their weapons. Claire could still feel the slimy disgusting thing when it grabbed her. If Chris had never have shot it, she might have died. Just when she thought things couldn't get any weirder, they do. It was so obvious this place was affected like the rest of the city and they needed to survive here too. 

When they took another look at the map of the sewers, it really was big. It might take them longer than they thought to get into where Sherry is. Neither of them said a word as they were thinking the same thing. Sherry fell unconscious inside that garbage disposal the last time they saw her. Of course they were worried about her and whatever happened, they could be running out of time. They cared about Sherry more than her own mother does because she was more concerned and interested on her work. Maybe she could be studying her monster of a husband who was infected by the G-virus. 

Nonetheless, if Chris sees her again, he will give her a piece of his mind; no parent should treat their child like she does. _Seriously, Sherry's her daughter and she doesn't remotely care of her current condition in a city under a zombie outbreak_. Chris was doing all of this for her, but he will never forget about Claire and Leon. He knows that he can save them all. He thought there might even be a chance that Cisco and Barry could find him here within the multiverse. If he's able to travel between his world and this one, then he might be able to show his new friends his world. It's possible since Cisco can make breach or "vibe portal" opening devices.

They might have escaped worse places than this but they weren't out of this mess yet. Claire clearly did not wanting to be backtracking through that sewer water. To add to that, those G-creatures were ugly as hell. Then, there was their conversation while they were traveling through the sewer water path.  _Why did I ask him if he had a girlfriend? Why should I care about that? It's none of my business._  Yeah, Chris told her he was from another world which she still didn't believe, but the way he talked about Jasmine, his friends, his family, and having to hide his own "gifts," he was so truthful. There's no way that he could lie about something like that. 

* * *

 

As they resumed their search, they climbed a staircase leading up to a metal railing which had a dead end in the corner. There was nothing interesting around, so they kept moving forward. They could still hear the G-creatures even when they were already far away from them. They soon arrived at a wide area with a grated fence and more metal railings. They went around the fence and walked down an iron staircase. The place was dark, so Claire kept using the flashlight. On their left, they found a power box terminal where a plug goes. Inside the open cover, there was a Queen chess plug so Claire took it out immediately and the LED light on the power box went from green to red. 

Turning around and heading their left, there was another power box and inside the cover had a picture of the Queen piece. When Claire put it in, the slide gate opened right in front of them, allowing them to continue. Climbing up some more iron stairs and entering inside an open slide gate, they found the King plug inside another terminal. Taking it, they jumped through the broken railing back to the lower level and went to find the correct terminal where it belongs.

Eventually, the they found the power box and Claire placed the King plug as the light turned green and the gate next to it slid open. There was weapon placed on a wall, hanging on a rack. It was colored yellow, gray and black and in the middle had the logo 'Umbrella' at the end.

"Looks like some sort of big stun gun." Chris noted.

Claire grabbed the Spark Shot from its holding place. After picking the new weapon, Claire released the slide-lock of a door on the other end. Entering through, they were met by a fat zombie so Chris dashed forward, knocking it down and stabbed it in the head. They soon backtracked, taking the Queen and King plug back. Like the puzzle back at the police station, this one was starting to annoy them. They knew that they have to take those chess plugs all the way back to where the U-Area door was. 

They were able to make it back to the staircase they just came through and climbed up before exiting this place. Even though they now have the both of the chess plugs, they will sadly have to backtrack through the putrid, G-creature infested waters.

"Well, ready to go back in?" Chris sighed.

"Hell no... but we have to."

On the brighter side, Claire will finally be able to test the Spark Shot out. Jumping back in to the dirty waters, they both made a run for it. They encountered a few of creatures but they managed to avoid them untouched. 

* * *

 

Six minutes later, they memorized the path and managed to make it all the way back to the Monitor room, where the six power boxes and U-Area door was. All this running around a lot felt tiring, especially for Claire as she took a minute to catch her breath. Chris' legs started feel tired too, since he hasn't really gotten that much of a decent break and the elevator fall had exhausted him. He's never felt this tired because when he had his powers, the solar energy that he stores from Earth's yellow sun is enough to sustain him and he never seemingly grew tired. Of course, he still does eat, drink, breathe and sleep out of habit.

Arriving at the power terminals, they decided to take another look around, just in case they missed something. They had two of the plugs so it should be able to help them solve this puzzle before going to the other one. Their eyes went back to the bulletin board where there was a note. It was an important one which that they didn't notice before. Chris took it from the board and starting reading it.

"Claire, check this out."

 _Pretty sure the rook and knight are on the same wall and the bishop and queen aren't next to each other. The queen and rook were_  
_opposite each other, too._

"It doesn't tell us much. It's only a hint but it's still better than nothing."

"This is not my forte..." Claire remarked as she put King and Queen plug in on opposite sides.

They realized that they had to head back to where the G-creatures are, knowing that this was becoming a real thorn in their side. This was actually more complicated than any puzzle they did at the police station. As they run through the sewerage waters, they noticed there was a closed door which was another detail they missed due to the fact that they were too focused on fighting the monsters. There was another hydrant so they used the red T-bar tool to open the blue drop door. There was some sub machine gun ammo in a corner, on top of an oil barrel, along some shot gun ammo so they put them in their hip pouches. 

There was a elevator platform so Claire pressed the switch which lit green and took them to the second floor. They arrived at a workplace of some sort, where they found some more handgun ammo and another hip pouch on the counter in the middle of the room, but Chris let Claire take them. Straight ahead, they spotted a slide-locked door.

Releasing the lock, the duo ended up in another corridor with a steel railing and blood on the floor near them. There was a zombie heading their way so Claire shot it down with her handgun. Just on their left, they went over to another power box where there was another plug inserted; it was the Rook plug. Claire took it and decided to head back, now that they have all of the chess piece plugs.

"Hopefully, we can finally solve this stupid puzzle once and for all." Claire commented.

"Hold on, what's through there?"

Chris pointed at another door that needed the treatment facility key. Luckily, Claire had the key and opened the door, entering the worker's break room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until they took a closer look. There was a large locker with yellow tape crossed over in the shape of an 'X.' It was odd but they were able to see that was a large hole on the other side. Chris volunteered to push the locker which revealed a secret passage, where there was an elevator in front of them. 

Entering the elevator, Chris pressed the button in order for it to ascend. It leads to a floor where there were some cement bags, among other things. Claire found some more submachine gun ammo and took the stairs leading up to another slide-locked door. Releasing the lock, they entered a very familiar place. Even though it was dark, they noticed they've been here before. 

"This place... We've been here before." Chris observed.

Claire's eyes widened, finally realizing this area. They were back at the underground passage below the statue of the goddess located at the main hall of the police station.  _Who would honestly ever think that the police station, secret passage, underground facility, orphanage basement and sewers were all connected? This is nuts._

Chris was able to tell what Claire was thinking. Back at the office when they were taking the entrance of the goddess, there was the same type red hydrant where the red T-bar tool can be used, even if there was no drop-door. This meant even more backtracking, but Chris didn't complain if it helps them proceed forward and get to Sherry. The duo went to the elevator leading back up to the said office, the same place where Claire taught him how to operate a gun properly and shoot. As they arrived at the office, Claire used the red T-bar tool and turned it in the appropriate direction. As a result, the entrance of the goddess was opened. _So that was the ‘easy way’ to open it all along_. It was certainly lot easier than finding those three medallions and now, they were back at the police station.

Claire suddenly suggested to return to the underground facility straight away as she was really worried about Sherry.

"Chris, let's go back. I'm really worried about Sherry... It's been a long time."

"Your right. We need to get to her now. We've already wasted enough time."

Chris couldn't agree more, remembering that the girl could be indeed running out of time. Sherry was infinitely more important than anything, besides, there was no need to return and hang around at the station.

They returned to the elevator heading deeper into the underground passage. After they took the other elevator, it returned them to the employees' break room. With the Rook plug, they now have all of the plugs they need. Now, it was a matter of solving the puzzle to open that door.

As they returned to the Monitor room, they kept in mind the note they read. The rook and knight go in the same wall, and the queen is supposed to go on the other side facing the rook.

"So the correct order should be the pawn, queen and king on the left side with the bishop, rook and knight on the right side." Chris stated.

"Worth a try."

They both did their best and suddenly they heard the sound of the lock being released, meaning they have finally opened the reinforced U-Area door. Before moving on, Claire took the opportunity to take her boots off and tip out whatever water and gunk managed to settle inside. Claire also sighed looking at her clothes as her jeans and tank top were very filthy and her socks that were once a light gray with pink stars printed on them were now a yucky color and since they were just ordinary casual crew socks, they no longer felt comfortable to wear. Spotting a used towel on a table, Claire did her best to clean herself and her clothes. Of course, it didn't make much improvement but it was better than nothing. When she was finished, she slid her boots back on despite having dirty and wet socks.

"About damn time. I was getting pissed from this puzzle." 

"You're not the only one... Let's go and find Sherry. She needs us." Chris responded.

"Alright Sherry, we're on our way." Claire said to herself.

Claire gave a nod while entering through the door into a new room. Climbing down the stairs, they seemed to arrive at the waste disposal center. Hopefully, Sherry should be still in there. They saw a lever so Claire pulled it down but nothing happened.

"Power must be out." She commented.

Obviously, there was no power which means they needed to find the power unit and switch it on. 

"There has to be controls to the power somewhere." Chris stated.

They turned around and headed to a metal door behind them. Entering the room, they found the power unit. As the two went to check the switches, they realized it wasn't going to be easy to bring back the power.

"Great, just what we need. Another damn puzzle..." Claire was obviously frustrated.

There were two gauges with a red needle showing the level of power input. Each gauge had a red line, where the needles are supposed to go. So they needed to flip the switches on or off from red to green, and make sure the needles land on those red lines. Chris volunteered to solve this and less than a minute later, he was able to place the needles on the red lines. They heard the sound of an engine as the power came back. They smiled and let out a breath in relief as they solved this problem much more quickly. Now, they were hoping to finally get to Sherry. 

* * *

As they were about to head for the exit, Chris saw the ceiling being ripped and he grabbed Claire out of the way as a large sharp claw emerged. 

"Claire, watch out!"

"Oh, shit!"

It destroyed the door along with the path and the attack also caused sparks hitting a nearby machine, catching ablaze. Now, they couldn't leave; they were trapped in this room. Even with his skinsuit, Chris can still feel the heat from the flames. The claw emerged from above again as he rolled out of the way. They needed to get out of here and fast. The claw kept emerging from above as Chris kept dodging it and countering with his knife. They were getting cornered and whatever was attacking them held the advantage, since it had the high ground. 

Claire was also firing, until it stopped. They stood still waiting for another attack. A loud noise surprised them as the metal roller door in the room was destroyed by the same claw. Taking a better look, both were shocked. Chris gaped as he knew exactly what it was. It was William, Sherry's father, in the same form the creature has taken when it killed the trench giant. 

"That's not great..." Chris said as he noticed who it was.

Chris was hoping they wouldn't have to run into and fight it so soon. However, if they were near Sherry's location, then it explains why the G-monster was here too. Claire fired an acid round, staggering it for a little bit which allowed them run past it and gave them enough time for them to leave the place. If they were to fight it, they needed space. 

"Shoulda known you wouldn't die!" Claire called out.

They ran through a path with railings and climbing down, there was a large red metal container tied to a crane. Not far from it was the control panel for the crane. They looked at each other knowing what to do and saw that the other side looked like a bottomless pit. 

"I don't think it will fall so easily for this trick. It will be better if someone distracts it by fighting it ion close quarters while the other gets the chance to use the crane and hit it with that container."

"Let me guess, you want to fight it head on?" Claire wasn't liking the idea.

"I can do it, but I still need you to back me up. When you see that it's been weakened, hit that button."

"Just don't get in the way." She readied her grenade launcher.

"I won't."

Chris distanced himself from the container as he saw G-Birkin walking towards him. Chris clapped his hands and whistled at it, getting G's attention. Looks like it worked. The good thing is they already knew where its weak spot is; that big eye on its right shoulder. If they shoot it, it will hurt the creature. However, Chris kept in mind that it was stronger from the last time they fought it at the underground passage, which means that he most likely cannot fight it with his bare hands, even with Torquasm-Rao. So besides from using his shotgun, he also had to be ready to dodge and leap more often. He needed to fight more defensively rather than offensively. Not only that, Claire has his back.

Nonetheless, Chris wasn't even scared or afraid. This whole experience has made him even stronger in a way. Just like when he fought the trench stalker, he could still use the Kryptonian martial art to focus his strength more in his legs so he can dodge, weave and leap easier. Speed and agility was the only real physical advantage he held above G. Both Chris and the G-creature stood behind the large steel container, facing off against each other.

G attacked Chris with its giant claw but he was able to easily dodge, by diving and rolling behind the creature. Focusing his strength, he was able to send the creature back with a counter roundhouse kick. Pointing the shotgun right at the eye, he fired two shots. It growled in pain before it got hit by acid rounds, courtesy of Claire. G was in pain, leaving itself open. Chris performed the same running drop kick that he used on the trench giant, sending G crashing towards a wall. He followed up with shooting his weapon until it was empty.

"Claire, cover me while I reload!" Chris called back.

She kept firing acid rounds until she was out, before quickly changing to the Spark Shot, finally wanting to test it on the beast. One shot electrocuted the G-creature, growling in pain. When Chris was done reloading his shot gun, he changed to his combat knife. When the electricity faded, he charged aiming at the eye with all his strength. Chris stabbed his weapon right in the eye as G recoiled in pain but not before grabbing him with his immense and grotesque claw arm.

"Chris!!" Claire shouted worried for him. 

Chris focused more strength in his right arm and was strong enough to elbow through the boney claws, breaking them away and freeing himself. He then used his combat knife on the monstrous head. Removing the weapon from the head, he kept slashing at it in sequences using his speed to his advantage. He then followed it up with firing his shot gun. Chris took a few steps back, right next to the metal container. By the looks of it, G should be weakened enough. He noticed Claire was waiting for the right moment. Putting the knife away, he kept firing his shot gun as the creature sounded angry and started charging at him. It was easy to avoid its attacks and when he took cover, Claire fired the Spark Shot again. It was time to bring the out big guns as Chris has taken out the Magnum Research BFR. There were five bullets loaded, so he will make one count.

"Here goes." He muttered to himself.

The laser pointed at the eye as he fired once, another growl coming from the G-creature. It charged again but Chris dodged by jumping, taking his knife out and stabbing the eye. While it was hurt and on its knees, now was the perfect chance. The creature has also seemingly forgotten about its other opponent. Chris then joined Claire as it was time to put a stop to this thing for good.

"Do it."

Claire pressed the button without hesitation. The steel container was moved the other way as the crane was going to do a one-eighty degree turn. It was down on one knee and immobilized, being hard for it to recover from so much damage it has taken. The steel container directly hit the G-creature and sent it to the abyss, with it's inhuman screech echoing throughout the area.

"Hope it's finally dead this time." Claire gazed at the dark pit.

"We did it. Hopefully William doesn't come back... Or, whatever's left of him." Chris remarked.

"Let's get going." Claire nodded. “I’m sorry this is taking forever, Sherry.” She told herself

* * *

After leaving the platform where did the battle, the duo climbed the stairs leading up. There was a slide-lock door but Chris busted it down with a kick since they were in a hurry to get to Sherry. They were back at the massive garbage disposal door. Claire saw the lever with a red light above, showing it has power. She pulled it down, changing the light to green. 

**_\- Inside the Garbage Disposal Room -_ **

_*Sherry? Mommy's here...*_

That sounded like Annette through the P.A. system. Chris and Claire were waiting for the large door to open.

_*Sherry! Sherry, can you hear me!?*_

As the door opened, they were shocked seeing Sherry was still unconscious. They ran to her side, with Chris placing his fingers on the girl's neck, under her jawbone, checking her pulse. She was alive, but something was wrong with her. Chris swallowed, feeling like they've taken too long to get to her.

 _*Claire... Chris...?*_ Annette's voice sounded from the speakers in the corners of the room. 

"Hey, Annette!" Chris shouted out, upset, pointing directly at the woman. "Are you really just going to stand there or are you going to do something about this!?"

Chris lifted and carried Sherry's body, in the cradle position. Her face was pale-white, the iris of her left eye was yellow while the skin around it had a strange red scar. She certainly didn't have that before but he knew that it was very bad news.

_*What are you doing!?*_

 "We're here to help!" Claire replied, calling back.

There was a short silence before Annette spoke up. _*Sherry's been implanted...She can't be saved...*_

"Implanted?" Chris was shocked, feeling a pang in his heart. "You don’t mean..."

_*It's too late for her. William has infected her with a G-embryo. She will eventually become like him...*_

"Are you fucking kidding me!? You're her mother. Get in here!" Claire was now pissed _._

_*You don't understand. William is still out there, and if I don't stop him-*_

"This conversation is over!"

"Listen, Annette. Forget about William! Forget about playing with your 'chemistry set!' Forget about your work for the moment! What matters most is that your daughter needs help. She's your priority, not your husband or your research. What could be more important than your daughter? What kind of mother lets her own child suffer like this?!" Chris is now furious.

If only he had his powers, his eyes would be glowing red.

Outside, Annette shook her head and took a breath, being somewhat shaken by Chris' remark.

Chris felt like tearing up. _Have we failed? If she was infected, What do we do now? Where do we take her?_ _No, I couldn't give up... I'm Superman II. I'm wearing the emblem for hope._

_*Wait! Wait...I can treat her...In my lab. It's not far away.*_

"Mommy...?" Sherry croaked weakly, now semi-conscious. "Daddy...?"

"She doesn't sound good either." Chris muttered before speaking up to Annette. "Where's your lab? Tell us."

 _*You have to take the cable car. The wristband Sherry has is an electronic ID. With it, you'll gain access. The cable car will take you to the_ _NEST lab. Goodbye...*_

_**\- Monitor Room, Outside Garbage Disposal -** _

"Sherry... Mommy loves you sweetie..." Annette muttered before turning the camera off.

Annette took a deep breath, putting her hand over her eyes and shaking her head before walking away.

**_\- Inside the Garbage Disposal -_ **

“Are you fucking kidding me!?” Claire cursed at Annette but she had already left.

She then looked onto Sherry, who was being carried by Chris.

"Don't worry Sherry, everything will be fine. We'll get you whatever you need."

"We're here for you." Chris followed.

“Wh-Why are you doing this?” Sherry asked weakly.

"Because we care." Claire replied in a soft voice.

"Thank you...Claire."

"We will save you. On my world, the 'S' symbol on my chest means hope... and that's what you have. You will be okay."

"Thank you... Chris... You really are a superhero... You're my hero..."

Sherry gave a weak smile before she closed her eyes again.

* * *

(Art coming soon) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: No going back


	20. No going back

It didn't take them that long to reach the cable car. Chris was too focused on getting Sherry to the lab and it was the same with Claire. The little girl was still somewhat awake, grunting, moaning and breathing.

"Hold on... Sherry. We're almost there." Chris told her.

As soon as the trio got close to the doors, they opened, reacting to Sherry’s wristband.

 _*Access Granted.*_ The AI's female voice sounded.

Chris while carrying Sherry entered first, followed shortly by Claire. Chris carefully laid the girl on the seat that was meant for two people, letting her rest. Claire then knelt down next to Sherry, kindly giving her leather jacket and put it on for her. Chris remained at Sherry's side and smiled at Claire's actions. 

Claire went over to check on the controls to get the car working. They didn’t have much time. She pulled down a lever and the door closed as the cable car started moving.

"Okay... better check everything. There's no turning back."

_*This Tram is bound for NEST. Do not exit until the final destination is reached.*_

As the cable car was still moving heading for Annette’s lab, Claire decided to get comfortable during the ride. Sherry is still awake, still breathing and grunting in pain.

"Don't worry Sherry, everything's going be alright. I promise." Chris told her as he caressed her forehead.

"Hey, are you okay?" Claire approached them, asking Sherry as she put her hand on the girl's head.

Sherry turned to the side and faced the two. "Your jacket's so warm."

"My brother gave it to me. You know it's supposed to be lucky."

"I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Are you kidding me? You were doing just fine without me... and Chris until we came along and got you into all sorts of trouble... I have something of yours."

Claire reached in her pocket and took out Sherry's pendant.

"I don't want it." Sherry shook her head and looked away.

Claire knelt down closer to the girl, smiling. "Really? Why not? It's so pretty."

"It's from my mom... For my ninth birthday, last year. All I really wanted was for her to be home more."

"I know it seems like your mom doesn’t care but... But deep down she still loves you. She just... has a funny way of showing it."

At that moment, Chris rested his hand on his belt buckle of his Kryptonian skinsuit. To his surprise, he manages to press it and it came off. He held it in his hand in curiosity and on the back was what looked like a small silver button. 

"What's that?" Claire turned to Chris.

"It's my belt buckle of my suit. I'm glad you asked though, I didn't know it could come off. Kal didn't tell me about this."

"Kal? You mean your friend?"

"Yeah, he designed and made me this suit."

Chris then pressed the silver button, intending to find the purpose of it. Suddenly, a colored 3-D holographic image appeared, showing the planet Krypton.

"What the hell? What... is that?" Claire asked, in surprise.

"A hologram. Kryptonian tech. I didn't know my suit even had this." 

She certainly hasn't seen technology like this. It definitely looked like something from the future. Chris is able to flip through animated holographic images of Krypton's history. Claire then stared at the image of the planet Krypton and its four moons, intrigued by this seemingly new technology.

"Looks like a planet..."

"I know. It's Krypton. I guess I have more to show."

"What...?"

Chris then knelt next to Sherry. "Hey, would you like to hear a story?"

"Yes... please..." She turned again to face Chris, interested.

"Well, this is my story, and I can show you. It's kinda hard to explain; I come from pretty far away... another galaxy as a matter of fact. I come from a planet called Krypton... This is what it looks like."

Chris showed Sherry the holographic image of Krypton orbiting the red sun Rao.

"Really?" The girl's eyes lit up.

"Yes. Really. Krypton orbited a red sun named Rao; the sunset was beautiful as you can see. The planet is bigger than Earth. It had a much harsher environment and higher gravity than that of Earth's. Even though we looked like humans, we were an advanced race... Unfortunately, now, Krypton is no more."

The images then showed the horizon view of the red sun from Krypton's surface. The terrain of the planet including rocks, canyons, oceans, crystal and ice. Then the Kryptonian wildlife, inhabitants, high council and technology. The last image then showed Krypton imploding before blowing up. Sherry watched on in engrossment while Claire just couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Chris decided to leave out the part about being trapped in the Phantom Zone for twenty years, coming from an alternate universe, multiverse or earth since a ten-year-old certainly would not understand that.

As Chris told his story and showed the holographic images, Claire still listened and watched even though she thought all this was still crazy and unbelievable. It was so hard not to believe him since he sounds so honest and now, he seemingly has proof to support his story. _Dammit, now I'm starting to believe that he was telling the truth, that he really was from another world. That technology that he has surely doesn't exist on this planet. It looks like it comes from the future._

"What happened?" Sherry asked curiously.

"It's natural resources were exhausted due to careless mining of planet's core. As a result, the planet imploded. Krypton was destroyed. Only me and another named Kal-El survived... As far as I know."

"How did you get here? To Earth I mean...?"

The image then showed a Kryptonian space pod exiting the planet and going into hyperspace.

"My real parents put me in a small spaceship. More like an escape pod. I don't really remember anything much as I was only a baby. They wanted to save me so they sent me to Earth. Another survivor named Kal, his parents did the same thing. His journey was a success and he managed to arrive on Earth long before I did... But at least, I still made it safely."

"Did someone find you...?" 

"My pod eventually landed in some field and I’m lucky that moments later, a couple happened to be driving by and found me. They adopted me and raised me as their own son. Those people are who I remember as my parents. Their names are Sarah and Ben Kent. They're the ones that gave me the name Christopher. When Kal arrived, the same thing happened to him, being adopted by another couple, although his pod landed in Smallville, Kansas."

The next image, showed a medium shot of Superman from around 2013, in his first Kryptonian supersuit. Claire noticed that the suit resembled the one Chris is wearing.

"Whoa... You must be so lucky."

"Indeed. I grew up on a distant farm in Steadworth, Southern California. But... even though I was raised as a human being, I am not one of them."

"If you're a superhero... then does that mean you have powers... like in comic books? Do you have a superhero name?" Sherry continued to ask, weakly.

Chris gave a chuckle. "My main power is to absorb solar energy from a sun. Under a yellow sun, the one Earth goes around. We get extraordinary powers beyond anyone's wildest dreams. I was able to fly; I was way faster, stronger... On my world, Kal later became known as Superman and me? I'm known as Superman II... Well, most people call me Superboy because it's easier. Superman is even more powerful than me since he's been on Earth for way longer... But I don't have my powers anymore... Well for now that is."

The images then showed Superman from over the years performing various feats of power. It showed him flying, running at super speed, lifting a mountain, towing a massive steamship through the Arctic, carrying a large apartment building, being thrown by General Zod, crashing through dozens of skyscrapers and emerging completely unscathed, flying directly into cruise missile as if it were nothing and bullets harmlessly bouncing off his skin and body.

As honest as Chris sounded and the images of a man in a similar outfit being shown, Claire couldn’t believe that part. _Flying? Lifting mountains? Being invulnerable? That man's supposed to be Superman?_   _Tha_ _t part's gotta be fake._ _Superman is just a fictional comic book character and yet, Chris is saying that he's real where he's from. Not only that, he calls himself Superman II?_ It sounded even more ridiculous. However, she chose not to say anything and ruin the moment. Watching them, Sherry is genuinely interested and enjoying it despite her current condition.

"Why?" The girl asked, blinking.

"I was fighting a super powerful bad guy or rather, a robot named A.M.A.Z.O. He had the ability to copy anyone's powers, including mine."

"Did you win?"

"Eventually. My other superhero friends invented a weapon to weaken it. I flew up with it into space and unleashed my full power and destroyed it. However, it cost me. Unleashing all my power drained me completely and I blacked out. Next thing I know; I wake up in Raccoon City with no powers. Since it's night time now and there's no sun, I can't recharge my powers yet."

"But how are you still so strong if you don't have your powers anymore? I-I've seen what you could do."

"Well the thing about Kryptonians are that our bodies have been adapted to survive Krypton's harsh environment and stronger gravity. This makes our bones and muscles extremely denser than humans. Even without our powers, we are still much stronger than them..."

"That's so cool...!" Sherry gave a weak smile.

Chris then turned off the hologram and put his belt buckle back.

"I also have something of yours. That man Irons had it in his possession. I found it at the orphanage and wanted to give it to you."

He still had the family portrait he had taken from Irons and showed her.

"I want you to have it."

"Are you sure? It's a lovely picture of your family."

Suddenly, Sherry started grunting and struggling in pain as she was getting worse. Claire made the girl sit up as her body was aching. Chris knew that they didn't have much time.

_*Now arriving at NEST*_

"Finally!" Chris announced as he picked Sherry up and carried her.

* * *

 

The cable car arrived at the lab station as it stopped. They all stepped out, followed by Claire while Sherry continued to give weak grunts and groans. The station was met with metal crates and a long staircase leading down to another path in a corner. Not wasting time, they approached a big door. Chris saw the symbol of an umbrella with red and white. S _o this was Umbrella's underground laboratory_. Also, it's possible that there could be zombies here too and at this point, he wasn't going to doubt it. 

Taking the corner, they saw a large secure metal door with a green screen which showed the roman numeral 'I' in the middle. Sherry’s ID wristband might be able to open it like it did with the cable car. The screen read the wristband and it worked, the door was slowly opening. 

_*For your safety, stand clear until the doors are fully open. Welcome to NEST. Enjoy your visit.*_

Once the doors were all the way up, they trio entered the NEST lab which looked pretty high tech just by a simple glance.

They were obviously in the main hall with the reception desk nearby. Annette said that she will come and treat Sherry. That must mean she could have a cure to the G-virus and if there was a cure for Sherry, then it will be worth it. The lights turned on right in front of the reception desk. Now, they needed to find a place to put Sherry down and wait for her mother to arrive. This was Annette's chance to finally prove she cares for her daughter. Surely, she didn't want for her daughter to end up like her husband but her words did bother Chris. She said William was still out there, implying that he's still alive. Somehow, he believes that they haven't seen the last of the strong, ever evolving G-creature.

The trio went to the first door to the left and they found themselves in a room, a medical bay. There was a clean bed along with some computers and equipment. This was the perfect spot to put the infected girl. Chris carefully put Sherry down on the bed and she tried to reach for her shoelaces in attempt to take her shoes off.

"It's okay, I'll do it." Chris offered.

Chris pulled on the laces and removed Sherry's shoes, placing them on the floor beside the bed but still kept Claire's lucky jacket on her. He then rested a pillow beneath her head and gave a blanket to her. They looked around, but there was still no sign of Annette. Waiting around and doing nothing was the last thing they should be doing because Sherry's clock is ticking.

"Alright, now what?" Claire asked.

With Annette still not around, it looks like she and Chris will have to figure it out. He rubbed his forehead trying to control his frustration. By the time they’d be able to help the girl, it might be too late for her. His eyes turned next to the bed at a laptop screen, that was still turned on. Claire was already next to him, also looking on at the screen. They reacted seeing something.

"Antiviral Agent?" Chris said out loud.

"That's got to be it. That must be what we need."

"You mean, the cure for the G-virus?" He stood hopeful.

"It has to be. If they have created it then, I'm sure they must have created a cure for it too."

"Yeah, you might be right and it makes sense. Annette did say she can treat Sherry."

"Hey... Hey Sherry... We gotta go. You stay right here, though okay?" Claire turned to the girl, caressing her forehead.

"We'll be back. I promise." Chris smiled looking at Sherry.

Claire took her ID wristband having a feeling that they were going to need it in order gain further access to the lab, so she put it on her own wrist. Just as they were about to leave, Sherry’s voice stopped Chris in his tracks.

"C-Chris? ... S-Superman...?”

"Don't talk, you need to save your strength. You don't have to worry about us."

Sherry shook her head slowly. "There's something... I've been wanting to give you."

She managed to take a folded piece of paper from one of the pockets of her skirt. Chris had no idea what could it be. Sherry gave it to him and as he unfolded it, his eyes widened.

"While I was at the orphanage... I drew it for you..."

Chris stared at the drawing. It was supposed to be him in his Kryptonian supersuit and cape; flying. Next to him was a little girl smiling and holding his hand. It was obviously Sherry. He admitted that it was very nice for a drawing made by a ten-year-old.

"Thank you, Sherry. It’s really pretty. I love it." He smiled accepting it.

"No matter what happens..." The girl gave him a soft smile. “You already saved me like the hero you are... Superman..."

Sherry’s words made him tear up. He folded the drawing and put it in one of his hip pouches before gently taking hold of her small hand.

“You will be all right. You will get better. I promise."

"Chris? There's something you should see." Claire pointed to the same laptop screen

He took a look and it had an important note.

**_[IMPORTANT] NEST-Wide Alert_ **

_Due to an incident in the North Area, all NEST personnel are to immediately use the “DEVIL” antiviral agent on themselves._

_DEVIL is the only way to prevent G mutation. If you have been infected with the G-Virus, seek help immediately to target and_  
_destroy the G cells in your body._

_This e-mail is automatically generated in the event of an emergency. Please do not reply to this message._

"We already figured out the antiviral agent is the cure. Let's not waste any more time." Chris went out of the room.

“Let’s go save Sherry.” Claire followed.

Chris went ahead going to the room, next to the reception desk. "Claire, over here!"

She went in seeing that he was holding a piece of paper and they started reading it.

_**ID Wristbands** _

_This research facility uses the latest security technology in order to ensure employee safety and efficient business practices._

_In order to enter and exit the facility, and to operate certain equipment, employees must use an ID wristband._

_There are three levels of access:_

_1\. Visitor_

_2\. General Staff_

_3\. Senior Staff_

_Authentication is granted based on an electronic chip inside the wristband. The wristband access level can be changed by simply_  
_inserting a different electronic chip._

_Visitor wristbands can be given to family members and/or children of employees. Please enquire at reception for further details._

"Sherry's wristband is obviously visitor level." Claire was examining the wristband's chip which is colored green.

"If we want to search this whole place, I bet we're going to need both general and senior staff level. It's the only way." Chris gave a sigh, seeing this coming.

“Meaning, asides from finding the cure. We need to find two electronic chips first."

"Well. Been there, done that."

Claire chuckled at his comment because it was true. By now, they were used of finding things in order to proceed further. Making sure they have checked everything in the lab's main hall, they went to the reception desk. A computer monitor was still turned on, showing an Excel spreadsheet on screen.

_**Nap Room Log** _

_18545 Toby Jackson_

_Entered: 03:44 Left: 07:31_

_18546 Sara Takahashi_

_Entered: 04:51 Left: 07:08_

_18547 Walt Paige_

_Entered: 12:03 Left: 13:36_

_18548 Anthony White_

_Entered: 12:05 Left: 12:48_

_18549 Cyril Archer_

_Entered: 18:01 Left: 20:21_

_18550 Desmond Lock_

_Entered: 18:04 Left: 19:58_

_18551 Wayne Li_

_Entered: 20:16 Left: -_

Perusing it, Chris and Claire took a guess this was a list of people that were being tested on by Umbrella. Either they were test subjects for the G-Virus or the T-Virus. Back at the underground facility, they found out that it was the T-Virus that caused the population to turn into zombies while the G-virus is so much worse. These unfortunate people probably had no clue what they were getting themselves into until it was all too late. From the look of things, they didn't stay that long in the facility and taking into consideration that both viruses takes effect immediately. So, the part where it says left must mean they were "neutralized" to prevent a serious threat at the place. No one would want any bio-creatures rampaging through the entire laboratory. but that must be the case right now. 

The duo decided to move forward since there was no point standing around when they needed to hurry and save Sherry. There was a door ahead, which had an electronic lock with a light blue screen, showing a roman numeral 'II.' Claire tried using the wristband but it rejected the visitor ID.

_*Authorized staff only beyond this point. Guests must refrain from entering*_

"Just as well it wasn't the blue screen of death." Chris joked.

"Blue screen of death?" Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Oh right, when you have a Windows PC and it crashes. The infamous blue screen comes up."

"Oh that... I've had that once."

Nonetheless, it looks like it was time to search for one of those electronic chips. They backtracked, taking the door that was near the cable car station. It was dark, nothing new so Claire used the flashlight. This time, she has taken her submachine gun out since it has plenty of ammo. Chris took the lead walking down the corridor and taking a turn, they could hear the sound that belongs to a zombie. It was coming from the nearby door with a green electronic sign, which means they can enter through due to Sherry's visitor level ID. The door slid open just as they saw a zombie lurking behind a desk. Chris fired his handgun and took it down with four headshots, showing it was tough.

"So uncivilized." He said to himself.

After doing some more exploring around the corridors, they eventually ended up in what appeared to be a cafeteria. One zombie got up while there was another one, eating a corpse. Chris didn't want to risk separating from Claire, even with the flashlight since the place was non-lit. They went after the one that was chowing down. Chris slowly walked behind it before using his knife and stabbing it in the head. The other zombie was walking towards them as Claire fired her sub machine gun, aiming for the head. It was killed and fell to the ground, from so many hits. She found something, not knowing what it was until she had a better look. It looked like a needle cartridge, with four of them inside. This was ammunition for the Spark Shot, so she took it without a second thought. The were seemingly no more zombie sounds, meaning the place was clear but they shouldn't lower their guard just yet.

 _*Our menu is designed for your nutritional needs using our latest biological research. Please enjoy our tasty selection of healthy foods.*_ The same female AI voice sounded.

"Zombie food, _yay_." Chris was clearly being sarcastic.

"I'd rather eat at a fast food joint than here, knowing what Umbrella does behind the scenes. I'll take junk food any day."

As they continued looking around the cafeteria, there was another zombie sound, showing that this place was filled with them. Of course, no place in Raccoon City was safe. Both of them were on opposite sides of cafeteria, trying to look for the zombie and which direction it was coming from. Claire gasped and let out a short scream as it tried to grab her from behind but she used her knife, stabbing the chest before firing her submachine gun, killing it.

"You okay?" Chris looked back.

"Yeah, fine... That was close."

Claire reloaded her weapon before walking to the corpse and removing the bloody knife. In one of the chairs, they found more handgun ammo along with a hand grenade not too far. They then reached a dead end.

"Wow, nothing here. A wild goose chase this was."

"Wait... Look."

Chris noticed something near them, and pointed at a ladder which was next to a potted plant. The ladder appeared to lead upwards, into the ceiling. Chris offered Claire to go first, being a gentleman and knowing she can trust him to have her back. Climbing up, the duo find themselves in a dimly lit and tighter corridor with many metal pipes on the walls and ceiling. They kept following the path until reaching an opened hatch that led back down.

They jumped down and they found themselves in the kitchen as their noses caught the smell of food. It must be cold and probably stale since it's been on the grill for so long. Neither dared to touch it. 

"Ugh, this is disgusting."

"I'd like to see Gordon Ramsay come here and inspect the place as well as the kitchen. He'd be furious. This'll be Hotel and Kitchen Nightmares all in one. Make that Zombie Nightmares too." Chris joked.

Claire laughed at his comment. "You actually watch that show?"

"Well, yeah... Sometimes. It's pretty entertaining. At least I learned how to cook certain things, thanks to that guy."

In front of them, there was a door out of the kitchen with a green screen. As they left, it led them into another dark unlit corridor, where there was blood splattered on a wall. That was never a good sign. The sound of a zombie made them point their weapons by a door with a blue electronic screen. It was wearing a black tactical uniform so it must be a soldier or security personnel.

Chris kicked the zombie back into the wall and shot it in the head, while Claire finished it off with a few shots from her submachine gun. They inspected the door with the blue screen but they couldn't enter because they still needed to find one of those chips. So, they turned around and went to another door with a green screen. There was a desk with some flame rounds and in one of the lockers, they found a high voltage condenser, a part compatible for the Spark Shot which Claire immediately added. Ahead, they saw a red electronic terminal with the letters "MUF" above in yellow but they didn't know what to do; maybe they needed something. Ignoring for it the time being, they saw one of the shutter windows of the nap room's beds. There was a dead body with its arm sticking out, and something glowing blue on his wristband.

"I think we'll be needing that." Chris pointed.

In response, Claire removed the blue electronic chip and added it to the wristband she's currently wearing. Now, they should be able to enter the doors with a blue screen, giving them access to Level II general staff entry. 

Exiting the nap room, they went back to the blue screen door. Entering through, there was another dark corridor with a green screen door to the left and a straight path ahead. The duo decided to take the straight path before taking the door, leading them to a regular door that read 'RECEPTION.' They were back in the main hall, which is where they started. However, it was nice to know they weren't that far off from Sherry. Still, they needed to investigate the lab more until they get their hands on the antiviral agent. 

"Now we need to find one more of those chips if we want to explore the entire lab." Chris stated

"Yeah. Two down, one to go,"

Both of them expected that they will need the Level III senior staff level to gain access to the deepest parts of the facility. Nothing was easy, and time wasn't on their side.

 _*Dr. Li, your presence is currently needed by Chief Cartwright in the East Area.*_ The same AI voice sounded again.

"Are there more survivors here?" Claire asked.

"I don't know. I thought Annette was the only one around."

They went to a door that said 'Main Shaft' and as the double doors opened, their eyes widened in amazement. The sight before them was a very sci-fi looking place with a tall elevator shaft tower in the middle and there were two entrances in opposite directions. One read 'East Area' and the other read 'West Area.' Next to where they were, was a control panel with a blue screen. The panel reacted to the wristband Claire's wearing, hearing a beep of confirmation. An electronic railed bridge appeared, reaching the middle platform with the tower. Next to them, stood the dead body of a security personnel, or maybe a soldier. He didn't appear to be infected and looked like he was killed in a different fashion. He was slumped against the railing, holding an audio recording device. They decided to check it out, hoping that it might provide them with some answers.

**_Special Forces Recording_ **

_*Alpha to Ghost.*_

_*Target moving to the West Area. Must be going to retrieve the G-Virus and antiviral agent.*_

_*This is Ghost. Understood. Rendezvous at point W-3.*_

_*Roger.*_

_*This is Alpha._ _Arrived at Destination.*_

_*Understood. Stand by for target.*_

_*This is Alpha, I've got eyes on the target. He's going to open the safe.*_

_*Roger. Awaiting the signal.*_

_*Got eyes on the G-Virus.*_

_*We're going in…*_

_*Dr. Birkin, you'll come along with us quietly.*_

"Dr. Birkin?" Chris asked.

"They must be talking about Sherry's father, William. These people were after him."

"They have to be Umbrella's henchmen. William must've known they were coming for him... Wait, I remember the initials of the sender of those emails are W.B. William Birkin. It explains why he was paying Chief Irons to up the security around the lab."

"He was the one that created the G-Virus after all, so it's obvious they will come for him. Looks like it didn't have the outcome they were expecting."

"Most importantly, we now know where the antiviral agent is. It's in the West Area."

"Right."

* * *

 

Carefully, the duo ran through the path because it has no railings. Because of that, if they make one wrong move, they could fall into the abyss. They crossed the central tower heading for the control panel in the blue screen. As they got there, they realized that it leads to the east area and the path to the west area is on the other side. However, they will not be able to access west area since the purple screen on the control panel requires a Level III access chip which they didn't have. 

"Dammit, we need the last chip if we want to get the antiviral agent." Claire rolled her eyes.

"Then we have to go to the east area first. It's the only way forward."

They went back to the blue screened control panel and Claire used the wristband. An electronic bridge-path opened from the entrance to the east area to the central tower. Time to get a move on and hopefully it will help them find the last chip. Entering the blue screen door, there were two paths. On the right was a dead end, with some desks scattered around, an air-conditioner releasing cold air and on the left was a regular door. Taking the door, they arrived at place resembling a lobby and there were two doors on opposite sides.

The one on the right was locked from the other side, so they went for the one on the left. The label of the door read 'Presentation Room.' Their eyes widened when they entered the new room. It wasn't exactly what they were expecting to see. Outside on the large window, there was a whole place covered in plants, vegetation and vines and there was some kind of giant flower with a man wearing a yellow hazmat suit. He was already dead, with his body pressed against the cracked window.

"Oh my god... That’s terrible...!" Claire gasped, looking at the dead man.

However, he was holding something very important; a purple electronic chip. They knew what this meant, they needed to obtain it in order to gain senior level access to the rest of the lab and west area. They knew that they will have to find another way to get it. The duo went over to a door that it seems like it was being blocked by the vines.

It eventually managed to open and upon entering, it seemed worse here. The entire place was dark, filled with vines and looked to be a gardener's worst nightmare. It was dark so Claire took out the flashlight again. Everywhere they looked, there were vines and plants, moths flying around and even a man covered in them hanging from the ceiling. This place was creepier than the dark areas of the police station. Suddenly, something moved, catching their attention. 

It was a zombie, but its whole body was covered in vines. It resembled more like a skeleton than a normal zombie.

"Looks like 'Plants vs. Zombies' except the plants lost..." Chris quipped.

"A plant zombie... Just what we needed." Claire said sarcastically.

Claire immediately took time out her submachine gun, shooting the plant zombie while Chris assisted her with his shotgun. Its head was blown up, falling dead to the ground. They soon entered the door that said ‘Greenhouse Control Room’ and Claire found a flash grenade nearby. Inside the room, they went to a control panel that had a round, circular outlet with a yellow lit button on the corner. It reacted to Sherry's upgraded wristband, activating the panel.

_*Dispensing solution now.*_

They didn't know what they did but after a couple of seconds, something emerged from the round shape hole. It was a dispersal cartridge and Claire took it.

"Do we need to put the antiviral agent in this when we find it?" Claire asked, unsure.

"Don't think so. I think it's a dispersal cartridge for the greenhouse in front of us. It's likely they use pesticides but it looks like no one's done that job in a long time."

In the far corner was a panel asking for a password. Instead of numbers the keypad had different "secret code" like glyphs. Unfortunately, neither of them had a clue what it was so they decided to leave it for now. They left the control room going into the greenhouse. It looked like a vast and endless jungle with so much rich vegetation, vines and plants. The roof was extremely high up and made of clear reinforced glass; it was a sunroof into order to let sunlight in during the day. Chris knew they will be encountering more of those plant zombies but looking at the vegetation, he started thinking. 

They took the right climbing down some stairs, seeing another plant zombie in the distance. They ignored it for now and headed in the opposite direction, entering into a door that said 'Drug Testing.' There were all kinds of equipment, documents, technology and scientific apparatus everywhere. It might take them a while to find what they're searching for. By the looks of things, it was more time to waste while Sherry's clock is ticking. On a desk, they found a piece of paper that might help them in some way.

_**Herbicide Synthesis** _

_Plant 43 Herbicide Synthesis_

_1\. Place an empty cartridge into the Solution Dispenser_

_2\. Add the require amount of UMB No.21 (P-e)_

_3\. Cool immediately_

_Plant 43 exhibits astounding growth, especially under sunlight. If something unfortunate were to occur, it may be hard to control.  
In the event of an unforeseen incident, close the sunroof and manufacture the herbicide using the instructions above to minimize damage._

"This is Herbicide. It might be the thing we need to get rid of all of these vines" Claire pointed out. "More work to do before getting to the antiviral agent. Not like we didn't see that coming."

As Claire explored the drug testing room further, she found a hand grenade. There was a reinforced metal electronic fence with a red light, and a machine behind it. However, it seems like they will need a way to open it. Either way, they weren't going to get answers by staying here. However, when Claire turned back, she noticed Chris was standing and staring; in deep thought.

"Chris? What's wrong? We need to get the herbicide." She said as she approached.

"Maybe we don't..." 

"What are you talking about? Of course we need it."

"The greenhouse has a sunroof where they let sunlight come through during daytime. Knowing biology, plants have the ability to store solar energy and convert it. That process is called photosynthesis."

"Yeah, so? Why are you bringing this up now? We're wasting time."

"Trust me, I have an idea that might work. Come with me."

They left the room back into the greenhouse and Chris approached a large grown tree and placed his right hand on it.

"What are you doing?" Claire asked, confused and staring at him.

"If you remember, I'm a Kryptonian. I can absorb solar energy and trees, plants and vegetation store them. This might just work. Please don't freak out when I do this."

"Chris... Not that again... this is hardly the time-"

"Claire. I need you to promise me. Don't freak out.”

Claire stood for a few seconds and thought.

"...Fine, I promise. After everything we've been through, I seriously doubt that anything can freak me out."

"Good." He smiled.

Chris closed his eyes and focused, absorbing the energy and life force from the tree and soon, all plants and vegetation around them.

_Though I was born a galaxy away, I have always served you. The same power... The sun’s power fuels us both... You hold it here; you store it... I beg you, for a suffering world... release it... Mother... mother..._

All the trees, plants, vines and other vegetation within the large greenhouse were shriveling up and dying, with all the solar energy they stored being drained and siphoned into the Kryptonian. Even a mysterious gust of wind ended up blowing around the place while most of the vines fell. Even the vines that held the dead man against the window gave in and released him to the path.

At this moment, Claire just stood there, dumbfounded with her mouth wide open. She really couldn't believe what she was seeing. _First his inhuman strength and agility, then beating the trench guy, holding his own against William and surviving a fatal elevator fall. But this? This was something new entirely._ Claire even noticed that the cut on Chris' right hand had disappeared as it fully healed itself.  _This just became weirder on another level. I’m actually feeling like I can believe his_ _story more. He's right. He is from a different world... How is this possible?_

Eventually all the vegetation in the greenhouse was killed off by being drained of their energies. This allowed the two to bypass obtaining the herbicide and endure numerous backtracking. However, there were still plant zombies around. Claire was about to take her grenade launcher but before she could, the zombies were suddenly thrown across the room with their heads already crushed. Chris then reappeared in front of Claire; he had just used his super speed.

"Wha- How did-... Huh?" Claire was in shock.

"Claire, behind you!" He dashed ahead of her.

There was an ivy zombie right behind her. It tried to attack her with its hideous mouth wide open, about to attack. Chris then dashed ahead and put his hand in the creature's mouth. It bit down but its teeth broke, being unable to penetrate his skin.

"Nice try." Chris smirked.

He used his hand to effortlessly crush its head and toss the body across the greenhouse.

Claire just stood in shock and awe after witnessing Chris' new display of power and he was floating a couple feet off the platform they were standing before landing back down beside her. She then frowned when she saw him take out his Magnum BFR.

"Time to find out." Chris said as he pointed the gun to the palm of his hand.

"Chris! What are you doing!? NO!" Claire snapped out of her trance and shouted.

 _BANG!_ Chris pulled the trigger, the noise was so loud and the bullet struck his hand...

* * *

 

 

^ Arriving at NEST, Superman II lays an infected Sherry to rest before finding her the cure. (https://imgur.com/UsG4Tfc)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Finding the Cure


	21. Finding the Cure

_P-TING!_ ... And absolutely nothing happened. The otherwise powerful shot didn't harm him at all. There was not a single mark or scratch the palm of his hand. He then held out the palm of his hand, showing Claire the deformed bullet.

"Chris...? You are... You- I don't believe it... Y-you really are..." She could only stammer in shock. "There's not a scratch on you..."

"Do you believe me yet?"

"I-I, saw everything but I'm still working on believing it... You just killed all these plants!"

"Well... Good news is we might not have to go through so much just to get a pesticide. On the downside, even though I got my powers back, it's only a tiny fraction. The energy I absorbed isn't nearly enough to bring me back at full power. I still gotta conserve my energy until the sunrise. Don't worry, that's not something I do all the time. Emergencies only... You don't honestly think I enjoy draining nature's life force do you?" Chris told her with a slight chuckle.

"Okay, I get it... You can show me more party tricks later but we really gotta get going."

"Yeah, you're right. We can get the antiviral agent now." Chris nodded.

"I'm sure you can break through every door in the facility but let's get that access chip just in case."

They walked over to the dead man in the safety suit and took the purple chip anyway, so Claire put it in the ID wristband. The duo left the greenhouse and made their way back to the presentation room. On top of a lectern, they spotted another computer that was still turned on. Eyes were on the name of the person's e-mail inbox.

"Hey, check this out." Chris signaled to Claire.

**_Byron Cartwright's inbox_ **

_Sender: William Birkin_

_Subject: [HIGH PRIORITY] Increased Security_

_When did NEST become a “nest” for spies? Three last months, and another four this month. And those are just the ones we_  
_caught. Step up security, Cartwright. Or do you want to end up like your predecessor?_

 _Also, I'll be restricting access to the West Area from today. Ignore all requests from headquarters for information on "G". Those_  
_suits contribute nothing to this project anyway._

_Sender: No-reply (auto-generated mail)_

_Subject: [WARNING] Unauthorized Access Detected_

_Herbicide Dispersal by unauthorized employee detected in the East Area._

_04:51 Wayne Li_

Looking at each other, they didn't say a word. Dr. Li attempted to stop the vines from growing and taking over the greenhouse but Cartwright caught him red handed since he had different intentions. They believed he had orders from Umbrella to eliminate everyone and make sure their special forces get the G-Virus from William. Every single one, were nothing but a pawn to the pharmaceutical company and at the same time, they were all victims. Without looking back, Claire left with Chris following closely behind and made their way back to the main shaft, arriving at the center of the facility. Claire used the senior staff level wristband on the other control panel.

The bridge-path to the West Area has opened and they're hoping they don't get into much trouble trying to find that antiviral agent. This place was really big and biggest fears was not making it on time to save Sherry. Chris knew that time was ticking and now that he has a tiny fraction of his powers, he decides to put it to good use.

"Claire, hold on to me. Tight."

Claire did as she told and put her arms around Chris. He also grabbed Claire, protected her and dashed at super-speed, reaching the Level III access door in less than a second. _WHOOSH!_ She had no clue what just happened.

The electronic door opened before Chris used his speed again.  _WHOOOSH!_ In less than second, they reached the end of the bio-testing lab. They were inside the P-4 Level Testing Lab. The whole place was dark so Claire used the flashlight and they entered what appeared to be an office.

"W-What just happened? ..." Claire let go of Chris and looked around, confused. "Please don't do that again."

She then bent and hunched over, briefly shaking the slight dizziness out of her head.

"I ran... Yeah, sorry. Probably takes some getting used to."

"So you can run really fast now?" Claire's voice is still shaky.

"Yup... Wait, I'll be right back. Forgot something." Chris took off at super-speed.

"Wh-...

While in super-speed, Chris went back to the bio-testing lab and immediately saw a body of another special forces soldier. He was holding a video camera. Maybe it's surveillance footage from the lab that they wanted to take from falling into the wrong hands. He opened the camcorder and took out the SD card, felling sure that it might become useful later. Chris returned to Claire less than a second later.

…ere are you going?"

Claire finished her sentence while Chris is already behind her, with a small gust of wind blowing her hair due to his speed.

"I found something."

Chris flashed the SD card before walking into the next door office. He put it in a laptop that was still turned on, opening the folder and clicked the latest video file.

* * *

 

The footage was showing a blond man in a white lab coat taking test tubes from a machine. The man was obviously William Birkin, Sherry's father. He put the tubes on a black steel case. 

_*Got eyes on the G-Virus.*_

_*We're going in.*_

The screen was now showing the special forces team infiltrating the room where William stood. He turned around and swiftly put the case behind his back, protecting it with his life.

_*Doctor Birkin, you'll come along with us quietly.*_

_*_ _You think I didn't know you were coming? This is my life's work! I'm not handing over anything!*_

_*We have our orders, Doctor Birkin. I'll ask you one more time...*_

However, William wasn't going to cooperate and made a sudden move by taking out his handgun. The soldiers opened fire on him and his body was covered in blood. Both Chris and Claire gasped at the sight.

_*Stop! Hold your fire!*_

One of the soldiers checked his pulse while another showed his face on the soldier's camera.

_*What the fuck were you thinking!? Our orders were to bring him alive!*_

The same soldier then spoke through his comms device, presumably to his superior.

_*We're in sir, but we had a snafu... Target resisted, we had to take him out. That's correct, sir. Roger that. Just the samples then. Let's move!*_

One soldier took the silver briefcase containing the samples of the G-Virus as they left. Then, the video ended.

* * *

Chris and Claire stood silent for a few seconds as what they’ve just seen. Umbrella getting rid of pawns they no longer need and the footage showed them opening fire on William, seemingly killing him. After taking gunfire like that, he should be dead. There was no way he could have survived that, unless, he was barely alive and the special forces didn't notice. His pulse must have been weak and they were also in a rush, so they could have made the mistake.

"There's no way he could have survived that." Claire stated, looking at Chris. 

"But he did, somehow... There'd be no other logical explanation than the fact that he must have taken the G-Virus."

Claire's eyes widened in shock. "He injected himself with it?"

"It's the only explanation to why he was able to live. But as we know, it went wrong."

"I thought he was infected by accident, but to intentionally infect himself? William's obsession with his work was so strong that he was willing to become a monster for it. It probably matters more to him than his own family."

As they turned, there was another computer monitor, still turned on and showed an inbox of emails.

_**William Birkin's inbox** _

_Sender: Jane Doyle_

_Subject: Suspending Research on G_

_The Umbrella Corporation has decided to ceased all research on “G,” which was ongoing at the NEST underground laboratory._  
_All funding for this project has been cut, and laboratory director William Birkin has been removed from his post._

_Sender: B.E._

_Subject: (None)_

_Thank you for your mail Dr. Birkin. Top brass has expressed an interest in this “evolving bioweapon” you mentioned. Do not_  
_worry about costs. Our “company” is the most well-funded in the whole United States._

_Sender: Richard Kessler_

_Subject: Congratulations_

_I heard the good news. “G” is almost ready. Strange you never thought to report to the research lab here at Umbrella HQ...But I_  
_suppose I can let it slide. Anyway, send over the data, would you? And don't worry. You've done good work on “G” but we can_  
_take care of the rest._

_Sender: Jane Doyle  
_

_Subject: Notice of Admonishment  
_

_You are under suspicion of breaching your contract with the Umbrella Corporation. It has become clear that you have claimed_  
_ownership of the “G” project, and have been in unauthorized contact with the US military. Please respond to the investigation_  
_committee's summons within 24 hours._

"This is evidence that they were planning to backstab William from the start." Chris told Claire who gave a nod.

Leaving the office and going back into the P-4 testing lab, there were some weird looking red lights on the wall and ahead were strange things on large tubes with water. Eyes, arms but they were all mutated. They must have been the first prototypes created by the G-Virus. The two then noticed another computer nearby.

_**Research Diary** _

_Embryo Growth Observations_

_(Subject 449)_

_After the G embryo was implanted in the subject, we made a 50cm incision from the chest to the abdomen and began our_  
_observations. With the help of medical team, the subject's consciousness level was kept between 15(lucid)-GCS 10. However, the_  
_subject's consciousness level deteriorated, and further observation was deemed unnecessary. The subject was then disposed of._

_**Breeding Rate Observations**  
_

_(Subject 501)  
_

_The G-Virus was administered to subject 501. 501 mutated into G form and was introduced to a group of 30 subjects. After 2_  
_hours 36 minutes, it was observed that all but one of the test subjects has been implanted with a G embryo. All subjects were_  
_disposed of. (One subject broke down during experimentation and took their own life)_.

Chris shook his head along with Claire. Looks like the person that mutated was able to retain a human mind and decided to commit suicide than to continue living as a monster. They have seen enough of Umbrella's cruelty. _  
_

_**T-Virus Resistance Experimentation**  
_

_(Subject 628, 639)  
_

_We administered the G-Virus to subject 628, who had shown slight resistance to the T-Virus. The virus was then introduced to_  
_subject 639, with whom 628 had a close relationship. 628 showed some signs of resistance, but had been implanted with an_  
_embryo after 24 minutes. T-Virus resistance does nothing to stop the mental deterioration caused by the G-Virus._

So, this all meant that they were also testing the T-Virus too but if it was supposed to be compatible with G, it looks like it was a failure. While Chris was reading, Claire saw a medium sized top security vault before them. She took her best guess, hoping that the antiviral agent was inside. She tried to open it but couldn't; it won't budge. Chris turned around and noticed.

"Want me to tear it open?"

Claire put her hand up.

"No, wait. Look at this."

Claire noticed something below the door. It had a very similar symbol of a triangle with two serpents crossing each other, with various words engraved in tiny text saying 'Creation, Metamorphosis and Reincarnation.' Chris took a look and realized they have seen it before.

"Sherry's pendant..." He quickly recalled.

"Just what I thought."

"Guess it saves me from tearing this vault apart."

Claire has taken Sherry's pendant and turned it over from behind. It had the same symbols and engraved text. They both made the connection that the pendant could be the key to open the vault.

Claire put the pendant in the small hole and it worked, the door sliding open showing two vials with blue liquid inside. She took it without a moment's hesitation. 

"This also answers another big question. This is why Chief Irons wanted the pendant so much, because he knows it's the key to open this vault and what exactly is inside it. Perhaps, he was planning to sell both the G-Virus and the cure so he can get rich off of them... That's my theory anyway." Chris hypothesized.

"You're probably right."

"This might also be another reason why Annette gave Sherry the pendant in the first place. If that was true, then she knew of the constant danger her own daughter will be in... literally putting a blank on her back or making her a walking target... I hope that this isn't the case or I don't think I could trust Annette any longer."

Both of their eyes narrowed in anger at this revelation. A small pendant may be a very good idea for a key but not if it puts the life of a ten-year-old in danger.

"Well, we finally have it." Claire gave a grin.

"Let's get going. Sherry needs us. I hope we're not too late."

* * *

 

Knowing time is of the essence, Claire let Chris hold her and use his speed. They headed into the straight corridor with the railing. As they were about to continue at that split second, Chris stopped as his super hearing picked up something. When they looked up, the ceiling above was destroyed and the thing landed a few meters behind them.

 _Worst timing ever!_ Chris turned around and rolled his eyes. It was William again. This creature really seems like it was unstoppable. It wasn't going to let them leave, which means they will have to fight it again. On the bright side, he has access to his marginal powers thanks to absorbing the vegetation's solar energy from the greenhouse. Fighting it should be a lot easier but he knew that he still had to conserve his energy. He wanted to use this remaining energy to fly out of Earth's atmosphere and get closer to the sun.

"Ready for round three?" Chris taunted the creature.

"Your ass again!?" Claire exclaimed as she took out her grenade launcher.

"William!" Annette swiftly arrived holding what appeared to be a flare gun. "This ends NOW!"

Instead of releasing a flare, it fired some anti-BOW liquid, hitting the G-creature in the chest. It was able to be put down on its knees before finally falling to the ground like it was downed. The three walked closer to the fallen bio-creature.

"Is that thing really your husband?" Claire asked, looking at Annette.

"It _was_ my husband." She looked down and remembered.

_**\- September 22, 2018 – P-4 Testing Lab -** _

_Dr. William Birkin was severely wounded and managed to inject himself with G. He stood up._

_"G is my creation!" He shouted out in anger and despair as he staggered around, the effects of the G-Virus taking place._

_Annette picked up his handgun and aimed at her husband but didn’t pull the trigger. Her eyes were tearing up._

_"William!" She called out._

**_\- Now -_ **

"I should have killed him when I had the chance... I don't know why... I just... couldn't do it." Annette stared at her flare gun and shook her head.

"He was your husband." Claire sympathetically replied.

"It's understandable that you hesitated." Chris added.

"Honestly... we were more married to our work than each other."

"But what about Sherry- how could you just leave her all alone? And while Raccoon City all burned to hell." Claire gazed at Annette.

"I couldn't let my daughter grow in a world with the G-Virus in it."

"But that's no excuse to leave her-"

Suddenly, the big eye of the creature has opened without anyone noticing, showing that it was still alive. The G-monster quickly grabbed Annette, its large claws squeezing her tight before throwing her to a wall with great force. Unfortunately, Chris wasn't able to react on time. He was too focused on Claire and Annette and failed to notice G waking up. Not only that, his current speed and reflexes aren't nearly as sharp compared to when he's at full power.

"Annette!" Chris super-sped to her while Claire jogged and tried to follow behind.

"I got this." She loaded another round into the flare gun and staggered upwards.

It was surprising how Annette was still conscious from an impact like that, but nonetheless, she was still visibly hurt and injured. They saw that the thing was evolving yet again. It grew two more arms, now having a total of four and it looked stronger and more ferocious than before. 

"I'm sorry, William..." She fired the round hitting the creature again as she doubled over to the floor.

"No. _We_ got this."

Claire has pressed a button on a control panel, sounding an emergency alarm and handed Annette the vial with the cure.

"Can you walk?" Chris asked Annette, helping her up and she quickly nodded.  "You should get to Sherry. Now." He urged her.

The middle platform started lowering as the duo jumped to face the G-creature. Chris was ready to fight and Claire took out her spark shot.

"You don’t know what you're up against." Annette warned.

"We have a pretty damn good idea." Claire answered.

"It's going down. Again." Chris nodded.

"Whatever you two do, don’t stop until it’s finished."

"Trust us." Claire told her. "This ends now." She turned to the G-creature.

The platform reached a lower level surrounded by many equipment, pipes and tubes. Looking back up, Annette has already left.

_*[Class A] Breach Detected. Lab quarantined until target is neutralized.*_

It may be stronger now, but its weakness hasn't changed. The G-creature now has more than one eye; multiple eyes in fact but Claire knew she needed to aim for all of them. Destroying all of them will eventually kill this monster once and for all. Chris immediately dashed towards it, using his speed and ducked a claw swipe. Even though the G-creature couldn't harm him, he still didn't want to risk getting hit since it will count as using up valuable solar energy storage. He threw a hard punch that sent the creature flying back into the wall of the room, stunning it. Claire moved closer and fired a a long ranged spark shot, keeping it down. G recovered and went to charge at Claire but Chris flew in and easily grabbed it before throwing it against what appears like a door. 

When G recovered again, it had something in its mind. it walked to one of the equipment tubes in the area and was trying to break it. Claire fired away knowing it was planning to throw it at them, using it as a weapon. Looks like everything they have read on the G-Virus was true; this thing was smart. It knew it was being overpowered, mainly due to Chris, so it will try to do anything to gain the advantage in the fight. 

G threw one of the tubes but Chris was able fly up to intercept and catch it before it hit Claire. He then flew forwards and rammed the monster's yellow eyes with it, crushing all of them at once. G was sent flying before falling down on its knees. This time, before it got the chance to even recover, Chris landed on top of it. He pinned it to the ground, punching it once then threw it across the room with one arm. As this point Claire could only watch as it's too difficult to keep with him, no matter how hard she tried.  _Wow, he's really got this... But I have to at least do something!_  She was soon able to catch up and change to her grenade launcher, firing multiple flame rounds and setting G on fire. The monster roared in pain as Chris delivered the final blow and snapped its neck. The creature was downed and looked like its dead. After a few seconds, there was no movement from the bio creature. Claire didn't have to do much and the fight was a lot shorter than expected.

_*Target has been neutralized. Ending quarantine.*_

"Gee. That was quick." Claire stared at Chris, still trying to believe the fact that he has these powers.

"I hope it's the end this time." He replied, still looking at the defeated G-creature.

"It better stay dead." Claire gave a sigh turning to him. "Thanks for helping me. I would have been in trouble if you hadn't protected me."

"I would never let anything happen to you. Not on my watch... But if we're finished here, we have to get to Sherry and see if Annette has succeeded in giving her the antiviral agent. I really do hope it's not too late."

Claire nodded in agreement. After all, she was worried about the girl, remembering her condition. She then looked at the nearby platform elevator and back at Chris.

"I suppose you don't need to use the elevator."

"Nope, but I don't mind giving you a lift. Hold on tight." Chris smiled.

He lifted Claire and picked her up, floating upwards and landed back at the B1 level above. Chris still held Claire as he super-sped their way through the sterilization room all the way back to the reception. They opened the door of the security-medical room where Sherry and Annette should be located.

* * *

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Escape
> 
> Yes, the fight between a semi-powered Chris and G3 is basically Superman vs Steppenwolf 2.0


	22. The Escape

Sherry was still lying down on the bed, awake, while Annette was right by her side. She had her head down on the bed, seeming like she was resting. It could be safe to assume that Annette has barely gotten any decent sleep during this whole disaster. Right away, they noticed that Sherry's face was no longer pale, her left eye was back to her normal blue and the red scar was completely gone. This appears to be a good sign since Annette had already injected the antiviral agent and it worked.

"Hey!" Claire smiled as the two ran to Sherry's side.

The little girl turned to face them. "I knew you'd make it." Then her eyes looked at Annette. "My mom needs help."

Claire put her hand on her shoulder. "Annette?"

She sprung and woke up immediately. "Sh... Sherry... How are you?"

"Okay... But you don't look so good."

"Oh no..." Chris noticed.

Annette's face looked tired, bruised and battered. However, what's worse was the wound she had around her ribs, bleeding through her clothes. It must have been when William grabbed and threw her. There was also a considerable amount of blood on the floor. _It's too late for her... She's already lost too much_ _blood._

Annette got up from the swivel chair but the wound hurt her body, causing her to make agonizing gasps. Both Claire and Chris came to her aid and helped her up. 

"Easy, Annette. Go slow." He told her.

"Mommy!?" Sherry exclaimed while she sat up on the bed.

"Hey, look at the screen." Claire pointed while holding Annette's hands.

They gazed at it and Annette's expression was of pure relief. "Oh, thank God."

"So, Sherry's going to be all right?" Claire asked.

"She'll be weak for a little while but... Yes, she's free of the G-Virus."

"We did it..." Chris felt happy and relieved. After everything they did, it really paid off.

"Did you hear that?" Claire smiled and put her hand on Sherry's shoulder.

Sherry gave a soft smile back as she put her shoes back on. Just in case, Chris used his X-ray and microscopic vision and scanned the girl's body.

"Yes. I can confirm that Sherry is free of the G-virus and infections." He announced proudly.

"Wait. How would _you_ know that?" Claire turned to Chris, confused.

"I can see through solid matter and at a molecular level."

Claire awkwardly put her hands on her own breasts. "You're kidding?"

Chris couldn't help but to give a chuckle. "It doesn't work like that. I need to focus in order for it to work. There's no way I'd leave it 'on' all the time!"

"Okay... Whatever you say, spaceman..."

Annette staggered forward and put her left hand on Claire for support. The woman was clearly in great pain as she doubled over to the floor and lay down  on her back. Sherry quickly jumped off the bed they all knelt down beside the wounded researcher.

"What happened to her?" Sherry asked in a trembling voice, turning to Claire and put her hands on the latter's arm.

"She was attacked by that monster-"

"It happened too quickly. She's hemorrhaging internally." Chris added.

"Don't… don't worry about me. Take my daughter... to safety." Annette struggled to speak. 

She gave Claire a pink electronic chip with the roman symbol of the number four on it.

"You're coming with us. We're gonna leave this city... All of us."

"I-It's too late... I'm sorry, Sherry... for everything. Your life is what is important now-"

Annette teared up during her final breaths as she put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"We can't just leave her here!" Sherry turned with her eyes tearing up, looking at Claire and Chris.

"You're right. We can't-" Claire replied.

Chris volunteered to carry Annette, but before anyone can move, an alarm sounded.

_*Attention: Unauthorized removal of a [Level 4] virus detected. Facility lock down initiated. Self-destruct system will begin when lock down is complete.*_

"Something tells me this isn't good." Chris stated.

"What does that mean?" Claire asked, looking concerned.

"It's the... Self-destruct code... In case the G-Virus leaves the building." Annette replied weakly.

Holding Claire's hand, she gave her final words. "Please... Save my daughter." 

Annette coughed up blood and took one last final breath as she succumbed to her wounds; dead.

"No...!" Sherry cried out in tears, sobbing and crying while hugging her mother that just passed away.

It was truly a heartbreaking sight and both Chris and Claire felt like crying too. Chris gently put his hand on Annette's lifeless eyes and closed them and took a moment of silence. He realized that even with his powers and the extraordinary things he can do, he couldn't save everyone.

"Sherry... Sherry... we gotta say goodbye to your mom. Come on. Please say goodbye." Claire's voice trembled, trying to hold back her own tears.

She put her hand on Sherry’s back, comforting her as the girl continued sobbing.

"Please Sherry, listen... she loved you, okay? We really gotta get going... Come on."

Claire and Chris stood up as Sherry gave her mother one last kiss on the cheek. She took Claire's hand then hugged her and the two embraced each other.

"You were right about this jacket. I'm so lucky to have you." 

Sherry then turned to Chris. The girl hugged him tight and Chris accepted the embrace. Seeing her like this broke his heart. Only ten years old and she has already lost her both of her parents. The girl buried her face on his skinsuit and continued sobbing as he pulled her closer. No child deserves this.

Chris knelt down to her eye level, now face to face. "Your mom truly loved you. Don't you ever forget it, Sherry."

"I know..." She hugged him again, wiping away her tears.

"And she wants us to get you out of here. She saved you, so you can leave this place and keep going on with your life."

"You saved me too." Sherry said in a soft, shaky voice before she calmed down.

The girl gave a soft smile and put her small hand on Chris' House of El emblem on his chest.

"Of course I did. I'm Superman II, remember? You can either call me that or Superboy... Whichever's easier."

Sherry finally pulled away from Chris before they walked out the room and into the reception.

"Are you two gonna be alright?"

"Yeah... wait... Where are you going?" Claire asked.

"Not much time to explain but if I am to be any more useful, I have to leave Earth's atmosphere."

"Wait, you mean... You're actually going into space? But space has no air..."

"It's okay, I can hold my breath indefinitely. I still got some juice left but I need to regain my energy, or else I'll end up how I was before. Don't worry, I'll be back before you two know it. I promise."

"Okay. I hope you know what you're doing, but you better be back."

Chris took Sherry's family photo and drawing out and slid them in the back of his skinsuit in order to protect them. He then took off all his hip pouches, weapons and ammunition that he had acquired.

"Take as much as you need with these. I no longer need them now."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, they won't be much use if they burn up from atmospheric re-entry."

"Okay, good luck Chris."

"Don't look away yet. You're gonna like this.” He told Claire and Sherry.

As he rose a few feet from the floor, Sherry's eyes lit up in astonishment.

"You really can fly...!"

He put some distance in between them and winked back at the little girl. Then he took off in an instant, flying up and breaking through the ceiling.

* * *

The two were in awe before Claire snapped back to reality and remembered that they needed to get out of the building.

"Sherry, can you walk faster?" 

"Yeah..."

"I don't wanna rush you, but we have to go."

They will leave this place together, if it's the last thing they do. So they hastily turned to their left and ran to the main shaft. 

_*Attention: self-destruct sequence initiated. Use the central elevator to evacuate immediately to the bottom-level train platform.*_

"Let's get the hell outta here." Claire commented.

Upon hearing the AI voice, they now know where to go; the central elevator in the main shaft. The control terminal had the roman number 'IV', the same chip Claire currently has. She tried it and pushed the button as the screen said 'ACCESS GRANTED.' The doors opened as the two went inside and the elevator started descending.

"Um... Claire?" Sherry started. "Thank you for being so nice to me... For helping me. I'm really glad I met you."

"I'm glad I met you too, Sherry. But save your thanks until we get out of this place."

The girl just smiled back and she knew she will be safe as long Claire is with her. Even though they only met last night, she felt that Claire is like the big sister she's never had. Sherry also thought that Chris is truly an amazing person and even cooler that he came from another planet and has real superpowers. She also hoped that Chris would come back soon since he promised. 

The elevator had finally reached the bottom level. As the doors opened, they found themselves in a control room, but they kept jogging ahead. It leads to a place with staircase as an explosion occurred before them. This facility is really going to be destroyed soon so they needed to get a move on. Entering a door, they were in another area where there was a small platform elevator and Claire waited for Sherry to catch up to her. She then pressed the button and the green light turned red, going down. Claire was also thinking about Leon, hoping that he has gotten out of the city by now.

* * *

**_\- Outer Space -_ **

Meanwhile in space, Chris is already in space flying closer to the sun and he can see the Earth behind him. When he had broken out of the facility to ground level minutes before, it was already sunrise. Chris was happy that he can feel the familiar tingle under his skin, indicating that his body was recharging itself. He didn't need to go all the way inside and take a bath in the sun since that would take too long. Even though he can fly much faster in space than in Earth's atmosphere, he knew that he couldn't reach the speed of light yet. Only Superman and Flash have surpassed the speed of light. _As soon as I feel like I'm at full power, I have to go back and return to Claire and Sherry._

* * *

 

**_\- Back at the Laboratory. B3 Level -_ **

_*Ten minutes until detonation.* The same computerized female voice announced._

"There's not much time. We really need to hurry." Claire muttered to herself as she wiped the sweat on her forehead.

Once the elevator reached the floor, the duo kept running. Claire has taken her grenade launcher out as more ivy zombies were ahead.

"Sherry, run!"

When Claire stopped to shoot a flame round at one ivy zombie, Sherry was able run past them. Once Claire had dealt with the zombies, she was able to catch up to the girl and they approached another door with a red ‘EXIT’ sign. Following along, there was another long ladder that led about twenty meters down. Claire went down first while Sherry joined shortly, both being careful not to lose their grip as they climbed down. Upon reaching the bottom, there was a door straight ahead. Looking at it, Claire was really hoping they were almost out of here. She reached for the doorknob but it was locked.

"Of course the stupid thing is locked-" Claire said, pissed.

"Hold on!" Sherry called out.

Claire turned around and saw Sherry climbing over the metal railing. "Sherry, what're you-!?"

"I think I can open it from the other side!" The girl balanced herself on a large metal pipe and removed the grate on the wall. She crawled into a ventilation duct that leads to the other side.

_*Nine minutes until detonation.*_

In the distance, more ivy zombies came and Claire used her grenade launcher loaded with flame rounds to deal with them.

"Goddammit, your timing sucks!" She spoke as if she were talking to the zombies.

She then switched to the Remington R12 shotgun which Chris had given her, to finish them off. When Claire made short work of them, Sherry has reached the other side and unlocked the door.

"I got it!" The girl called out with excitement. 

"Huh, nice work, Sherry!" Claire complimented as they continued to run.

"We make a good team."

They continued to run through corridors and rooms filled with flames on the side. There was another ivy zombie who was on fire but Claire was shoot it down with three rounds from the shotgun. The duo eventually crossed another path but this time, there were no fires around which was a good thing. It was really hot back there.

"Sherry!? You hangin' in there!?" Claire called behind her.

"I'm right behind you!"

"Attagirl! Think we're almost outta here...!"

Taking the door straight ahead, they saw what looked like a train carriage on a platform.

_*Eight minutes until detonation.*_

The duo climbed up a small staircase entering the carriage. Sherry sat down at the back while Claire went to the front for the controls. On the floor, she found an electronic joint plug. As she picked it up, she'll be able to start the machine but also knew that the joint plug will have to be placed outside of the train cart.

"What are you doing?" Sherry asked, looking at Claire.

"I gotta get this train moving." She walked over and knelt in front of the girl.

"I need you to stay right here, okay?"

"Okay. I promise I won't move."

"Good."

"Be careful."

"Always."

Claire ran out of the carriage and entered the turntable control room. As she entered, something caught her eyes.

"Holy shit! Hell. Yeah."

She sure wasn't expecting to see a minigun in a room like this. It was strong in firepower but it might come in handy if they ran into any more bio-creatures. She knew that carrying it would be too much so she put down her Spark Shot and the shotgun. Taking the minigun, she strapped it on her back as if she were wearing a backpack. Granted, it was heavy, weighing about two-thirds of her own weight but she could handle it. After picking the weapon, she saw a large double hole-shaped outlet in the control panel that will fit the joint plug, so she puts it in. Claire pulls down the lever as the red light changed to green.

"Okay... Alright, did something..." She watched the turntable with carriage rise up.

The carriage's headlights then turned on, indicating that it had power. "Okay... Alright, it's working."

_*Seven minutes until detonation.*_

Suddenly, the monitor in front picked up a signal and turned on.

_*Claire!*_

"What!?"

She was shocked hearing the familiar voice that she hasn't heard in a while. The screen that was showing static and the live feed was lagging but it was showing the face of Leon Kennedy. 

"Leon? You're down here too!?"

_*Yeah. But the whole place is coming down. Look, you need to get out. Fast!*_

"I know. I found a way out. I think... We can all make it. Where are you now?"

*Claire? Are you still there?*

"Leon?! I'm sorry you're breaking up."

_*Don't worry about me. Just get outta here!*_

"Leon? Leon?! Damn!"

She was obviously frustrated when the connection was severed and the screen cut out. As Claire left the control room, the platform where the train cart stood started moving and descending. _Time to get inside with Sherry_ , Claire thought.

Suddenly, a ferocious growl made her gasp and turn around, coming from nearby. Something then jumped on top of the train carriage, causing the platform to briefly fall faster before return to normal. Inside the carriage, Sherry made a soft squeal and cowered. She noticed Claire hasn't come inside and this worried her a lot.

"Come on, Claire! We have to hurry!" Sherry yelled in panic, hoping that Claire could hear her.

* * *

 

Claire just couldn't believe it. It was William again, having transformed again into a fourth form. That thing doesn't know went to quit or die, even when Chris snapped its neck beforehand. 

"I'm so sorry, Sherry. I don't think I'll coming inside right now..." Claire muttered to herself.

The G-creature let out a tremendous roar.

"You have gotta be kidding me!!" Claire yelled. "Chris... Wherever you are... I could really use your help right now..." She then said to herself.

Claire didn't hesitate to use the minigun and the recoil was very strong, way stronger than the shotgun but she kept on aiming at the G-creature. The firepower was very effective as it was in pain and each round fired was keeping it in place. 

"Why can't you just die!?" She shouted before she quickly switched to her grenade launcher and fired some flame rounds. 

It was on fire as it fell on the ground, before jumping from the top of the train carriage and landed next to her. This was starting to turn into a very desperate situation. Claire thought they had plenty of time to escape and that they were almost out of here hassle free but she was wrong. She seized firing and ran away as best as she could since the creature was attacking relentlessly with its many claws. Getting caught in that will mostly likely be certain death. It didn't help that the minigun she was carrying hindered her speed and mobility. 

 _*Six minutes until detonation.*_ Sounded the AI's voice again.

She knows that she can't use that same strategy when she, or most accurately, Chris fought its third form because she barely did anything during that time. Even when Chris said he only had a tiny fraction of his powers, he still took it on relatively easily and treated it like a joke. Unfortunately, Chris still isn't here. _Where is he now? Is he still in space? How far away from Earth is he?_

Claire knew to keep a far distance and resume firing. She noticed that it was even stronger and resilient than before, so getting too close wouldn't be the way to go. If that thing catches her, it'll be all over. She quickly changed from flame rounds to acid rounds and fired some. The G-creature gave a roar before jumping to the iron-grated walls surrounding the platform elevator. It jumped from so high, hitting the train cart on the top and causing the entire platform to momentarily descend faster. It was a blessing that the train cart, whatever metals it were made from, could withstand such abuse.

Claire was briefly thrown off balance and her eyes widened in shock as she thought.  _Now_ _that Sherry has been fully cured of the G-Virus, can this thing tell that she wasn't infected anymore?  What if it was after her again? With Chris still gone, there'll be no one to protect Sherry besides myself. If it injects another embryo in her, we couldn't go back and take another antiviral agent._ Her eyes glared in anger and determination; that won't happen again as long as she was here. She will protect that girl with her life and promised Annette that she will take care of her.

Claire switched back to the minigun without consequence on how much ammo it was using. She ran off as it jumped from the train with a mid-air attack. This thing was only attacking on pure instinct, proving the research notes on G to be true. It has lost all human consciousness and intelligence, showing that was fighting to kill and to survive. It wasn't going to leave her, Sherry or anyone alone, leaving her with the only choice to take it out and kill it. 

As it continued to attack, it showed the many eyes it has in its middle-right of its torso. It was more disgusting and grotesque looking than ever. Claire took the chance to fire the minigun and the heavy firepower was really affecting the G-creature, with each round perforating through it. It's level of resilience was unbelievable, even putting that of the trench coat giant's to shame. Soon, all of the creature's eyes have suddenly turned red. It might be a sign that it was weakening, or maybe it was finally dying. 

_*Five minutes until detonation.*_

After emptying all the ammo from the minigun, Claire changed to her submachine gun since she hasn't used it in a while. It had plenty of ammo so it will do well against this enemy. She noticed the way it was moving sluggish and was at the point it was about to get beaten. The G-creature went back climbing to the walls, ready for another mid-air attack. She waited until it jumped since it was obviously heading straight at her. Once it jumped, she ran out of the way as its attack missed her by a few meters. It went back to attacking into an attacking frenzy while Claire did her best to keep her distance. She was making sure to aim at all of the eyes and the creature gave a painful cry. Its head exploded and the body hit the ground. It wasn't moving, but the sight was disgusting.

That was it, Claire realized the minigun was out of ammo and couldn't be used anymore so she put it down but it really came in handy for this fight. If it weren't for it, she might not have been able to defeat the creature quickly enough. She then reloaded her sub machine gun not wanting to take any risks. Time and time again, this thing has consistently proven to be tough to kill. Claire was panting, sweating and aching all over and she took a few seconds to catch her breath before heading back inside the carriage. At that moment, the platform had finally reached the bottom and she hoped that Sherry was still okay.

* * *

 

^ Sherry is cured from the G-Virus (https://i.imgur.com/LHgaeNp)

Sherry tears up when her mother asks for forgiveness and takes her final breaths (https://i.imgur.com/bw81H4i)

^ Chris flies into deep space to regain his full power (https://i.imgur.com/BLgOQS1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The end of it all
> 
> Basically, with Chris in space, the part where Claire and Sherry have to escape the lab, then Claire later fighting G4 are pretty much identical to how it happens in RE2make.


	23. The end of it all

As an exhausted, dirty, battered and bruised Claire went back into the train cart, Sherry ran to hug her.

"Claire!"

"It's okay, I'm here. We’re getting outta here!" She embraced the little girl back.

Claire ran up to the control panel and felt that the carriage was finally secure on the tracks, as well as two more carriages joining it from the back. She pushed the red lever up and the train was finally moving forwards, leaving Umbrella's NEST laboratory forever.

As the train continued, seeming far enough from the lab, Claire let out a breath and turned around. She ran up to Sherry who was sitting down, cross legged on the floor. She smiled and knelt down in front of the girl.

"So what's the first thing you wanna do when we get out of here?"

Sherry was somewhat teary eyed but looked back up. "I want to see where you live."

"Good, cause I... need to take a shower." Claire grinned and held the girl's hands, making her stand up.

"Yeah..." Sherry smiled and giggled in agreement. 

“Really? That bad... oh yeah..."

Claire lifted her underarm and sniffed around herself. Yeah, she definitely needed a shower and she was certain that she's never smelt this bad in her life. After all, she was the one wading in the sewers not too long ago. Suddenly, the door of the carriage behind them slid open and both turned to see who it was. It was Leon.

"Claire."

"Leon!" Claire was smiling ear to ear. "It's so good to see you."

She approached Leon and gave him a hug. He was surprised but gladly accepted it.

"I told you we'd make it, didn't I?"

"You did."

"Who's this?" Leon looked towards Sherry.

Claire held her arm out and put her hand on Sherry's shoulder as the girl came forward with a soft smile on her face.

"This...? This is Sherry."

"Hi. Nice to meet you." He knelt down to the girl before turning to Claire. "Wait... What happened to Chris? Where is he?"

"Chris is fine. He's coming soon... There's actually a _lot_ I need to tell you about him... I mean, he really is not from around here."

"Okay..." Leon responded with a soft grin, not sure what to make of that.

"We'll explain later." Claire finished.

All of a sudden, there was a loud sound that shook the entire carriage with all three grunting in surprise.

"Jesus...!" Leon exclaimed.

"What was that?" Claire asked, concerned.

"I don't know."

"You stay here with Sherry. I'm gonna go check it out." She told Leon as she headed through the doors.

Sherry took hold of Leon's arm and hid behind him while Claire took out her submachine again, on guard. She hastily headed to the last carriage and pointed her weapon at the doors ahead as they were being deformed. When the doors burst, there was what appeared to be giant red-pink fleshy blob with many tentacles. it was the most gruesome sight ever. It was William, the G-creature has transformed into a fifth form yet again. Claire absolutely couldn't believe it. _Chris, wherever you are, I hope you find us soon._

"Just how many times this thing is going to change shape?" She asked herself.

That thing has grown in size and it was covering the entire back entrance, gradually crushing the entire carriage starting from the back. Looking at the G-creature, it was uglier on the front. There were so many fangs and colossal teeth, looking like it can devour certainly anything. The only difference from its past transformations was that it didn't seem to have an eye. There wasn't a single one but it was probably hiding it and to think that this monstrosity was once Sherry's father. Regardless, she needed to give it everything she had in her arsenal.

"We gotta stop meeting like this."

Claire muttered to herself as she took aim and retreated to back-most part of the carriage. "Hope you like bullets 'cause I got helluva lot more!"

She opened fire with her sub machine gun aiming at its "head" and "mouth". It didn't seem to be doing much damage. This thing was tougher than ever.

"For fuck sake! How the hell are you still kickin'!?"

She continued to open fire until she ran out of ammo. Claire changed weapons using her grenade launcher with the flame rounds. She has done some damage to the G-creature, burning it. It was trying to defend itself from such heavy fire using its tentacles. She then shot at its tentacles, causing them pull away in pain. Eventually, it opened its "mouth" again revealing the main eye, so she then pointed the Magnum Research BFR at it. The red laser pointed straight at it and she fired three times. It gave a loud roar as it was in pain. When she turned around, the doors opened. Sherry and Leon were standing in the other cart, showing that they managed to catch up to her too. Leon assisted Claire by firing whatever ammo was left from his Matilda handgun. 

* * *

**_\- Earth's outer exosphere –_ **

Superman II was already on his way back to return to his friends, now at full power after flying close to the orbit of Mercury to absorb solar energy quickly. He used his X-ray and telescopic vision while focusing his super-hearing. When he focused on Raccoon City, he could see a moving train underground, with Claire, Leon and Sherry inside but they were in big trouble. That G-creature had managed to come back to life and it looked uglier than ever; it wasn't even recognizable. The abomination was devouring the back-most train carriage. He needed to get there, and fast. However, that was no problem for him when he is now at full power.

* * *

**_\- The train. Secret Underground Railway. -_ **

Unfortunately, the G-creature wasn’t done yet and one of its long, slimy tentacles managed to grab one of Claire's legs with the intent to pull and devour her. 

"Claire!!" Leon called, desperately trying to reach for her.

"NOOO!" Sherry cried.

Suddenly, the trio heard a faint sound, as if the tunnel was being cracked open, despite all the noise. Further behind the carriage and the creature, Superman II had arrived underground and broken through the tunnel. 

"This guy still bothering you?" He called out in a loud enough voice as he flew.

As Claire was being pulled by the tentacle, a pair of red beams came from Superman II’s eyes, cutting through all the tentacles as if it were a hot knife through butter. The creature seized and roared in immense pain as Superman II grabbed Claire and took her too safety in the next carriage, joining Leon and Sherry. He hovered in front of the trio, casually moving at the same speed as the train with his cape flowing behind him. Leon just stared with his mouth wide open.

"What...? How...?" That was all the rookie cop could say.

"Chris!" Sherry's eyes lit up with a big smile.

"You came back!" Claire added, smiling.

"Well, I promised didn't I?" Superman II flashed a smile back.

He turned around and blew freezing air on the writhing creature, immobilizing it from the front and putting it ice. The three were still looking at him in pure and utter amazement. What they were seeing was a miracle. 

Claire then turned to Leon and Sherry. "He's certainly full of big surprises."

"We gotta lose that car!" Leon snapped out of his trance and called out.

"On it." Superman II nodded.

He floated downward and effortlessly snapped the caboose, now separating the carriages. With the destroyed carriage moving away slowly. By now, time has ran out as the facility had already exploded and behind the tunnel were so many flames.

"Okay, time for the big finale." He told the trio before turning around to face the creature.

Superman II flew at tremendous speed and effortlessly ripped straight through the giant eye and mouth, killing it instantly. The trio noticed that the impact even created a shockwave in the air which resembled blast wave. They watched as he and the creature were engulfed in the flames and falling debris. By now, the G-creature which used to be known as William Birkin was incinerated and never to be seen forever. 

Of course, Superman II was completely unharmed and without a scratch as he flew to the train (creating a vapor cone around his body) and re-joined with the trio. Another distant explosion occurred, sending debris towards the train but he was able to block it all as they harmlessly bounced off of his body. It was finally over.

"Let's get you out of here quickly. Hold on to something tight."

The three did as told as he lifted the two remaining carriages off the tracks at once and moved it faster, but not too fast. It wasn't long until they all eventually reached the end of the tunnel.

* * *

The group were met by the bright light of the sun, showing that it was morning already. This felt good against Superman II's skin, as always. They had spent overnight escaping Raccoon City. He landed on the ground and gazed behind, they were probably on the outskirts of the city. Leon was the first to get off the car as he grabbed and lifted Sherry, helping her off while Claire followed.

"Be right back... There's something you'll be needing."

Superman II turned before suddenly dashing away at super-speed, giving the trio the impression that he just disappeared in the wind.

"Where'd he just go? What happened?" Leon asked in confusion.

"He can run really fast."

"He's not just leave us here like that, is he?"

"Of course not, he said he's coming back." Claire finished and Sherry looked around, puzzled.

About twenty seconds later, he came back carrying a gray four-wheel-drive, along with a trailer and secured red Harley motorcycle and gently placed it on the side of the road, not far from where they're standing. 

"Where'd you just get that?" Leon asked, still not knowing what just happened. "That's my car..."

"The gas station. Don't worry, no one's touched it and I checked for infections. It's all good and you left the keys inside."

" _Uhh..._ Thanks."

Claire's face had a big smile. "My Harley! Thank you so much! I never thought I'd see it again!"

"Don't mention it." Superman II smiled back.

"So, you really are from another planet and another world." Claire said, grinning before turning to Leon and whispering. "I'll explain later."

"Yup. Does this mean you believe me now?"

"More or less. Thank you... for everything. We'll never forget this." She shot back, smiling.

"There's still one more thing I have to do. I gonna make sure that those viruses never spread or return… I'm gonna have do something about the city but you all need to get far away enough."

"Wait, what? How are you gonna do that?" Claire frowned.

"What do you mean? What are you going to do to the city?" Leon added.

"I visualize it'll be only a matter of time that the US government tries to dispatch a nuclear strike to wipe out the city. I should act before they do. As we all know by the looks of things, the city is already destroyed and it won't be able to recover from something like this..." Superman II answered with a serious look.

Sherry was looking at him, then at Claire and Leon, confused.

 

"Things seem impossible at the moment and I don't know exactly what I'm going to do but I have to try. But you all need to get far away from the city-"

"But are there any more survivors?" Leon interrupted.

"I've checked and scouted the whole city. Unfortunately, there aren't any living survivors. I'm sorry."

"Wait, what about Kendo?" Claire asked.  
  
Superman II grimly shook his head. "He's gone... so is Emma... I- I'd rather not say what had happened."

" _Oh_... That's terrible." Her voice was sympathetic. _Kendo was such a kind man. He helped us get through this whole thing._

"You should get going now."

Leon and Claire nodded while Sherry ran and gave Superman II a hug.

"Will we ever see you again?"

"I guarantee it." Superman II smiled at the girl before turning to the other two. "Leon, Claire. Take care of Sherry."

"We will." Claire promised.

Superman II waved at them and hovered in the air for a bit, putting some distance before suddenly taking off at hypersonic speed, creating a mach cone and sonic boom around him as the trio watched. After a minute of standing around, Sherry broke the silence.

"So...are you guys, like, boyfriend and girlfriend?" The girl asked looking at Leon, then Claire.

"No, we're just, uh... Well, we actually just met...last night?" Leon replied, gesturing with his right hand to Claire with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah...That would've been one helluva first date, though." Claire said, grinning.

"Yeah, you have no idea-" Leon said, slightly amused.

Leon noticed a large transport truck driving on the side of the road. The driver was African-American in appearance, wearing a black T-shirt and sunglasses. Leon instinctively reached for his Matilda holster, just in case and in reflex from his police training. However, he driver was not friendly and even rudely flipped them off and shaking his head while continuing to drive, for no apparent reason.

"Well, he was friendly..." Leon muttered sarcastically as he put his arms up, walking to the middle of the empty road.

Claire and Sherry quickly came closer to join him.

"So...is it over?" Claire asked.

"I don't know. But if it's not, we'll stop it. Whatever it takes." Leon said optimistically.

"Yeah. You damn right we will! ... And we also have Chris on our side. If it isn't over, they won't stand a chance."

"As long as us three stick together, we'll be fine." He smiled as he told Claire and Sherry. "Come on."

Both Leon and Claire took hold of each of Sherry's hands as they made their way to the car, with the girl skipping in her steps.   

"Hey! You guys can adopt me!" Sherry exclaimed excitedly.

"Adopt you?" both Claire and Leon chuckled.

"We can get a puppy!"

"A...puppy." Claire repeated

"And a parrot!" Sherry added happily.

"Parrot? Great..."

"I always wanted pets but my mom said they're too messy."

"Hmm...Yeah..." Claire said in a high voice while Leon smirked.

"Oh, and it would be fun to learn piano. Do you guys play any instruments?"

* * *

 

**_\- Earth’s exosphere -_ **

Meanwhile, Superman II is back in Earth’s exosphere, watching them from afar. He smiled as he was able to hear their little conversation. It warmed his heart that despite Sherry losing her parents not too long ago and this whole thing, she can still be a happy little girl and wants Leon and Claire to become her new parents. 

He still needed to wait when they're far enough from Raccoon City. Superman II knew deep down that the city will probably never, or, take decades to recover from this outbreak, despite the fact that the viruses were still contained and restricted within that city. Not only that, people can't risk coming to the city because there are still undead creatures around. If the U.S. government decided to nuke the city, it wouldn't do good as it’ll just spread radiation everywhere.

He even used his X-ray, telescopic vision and super-hearing to check for any live survivors within the city with the intent to save them all but found nothing. There was nothing but death and the undead. Not counting himself, Leon, Claire and Sherry who were the only survivors of this epidemic.

After waiting for more than an hour, Superman II then put his plan into action. He flew back down at tremendous speed and used his heat vision to blow up the fallen 'MIZOIL' gas station, incinerating all surviving zombies and traces of the T-Virus before moving to the Arklay Mountains and doing the same to the laboratories. Next, he went to the Raccoon Dam and city's water supply and super-heated it with his heat vision, to the point where the water started steaming and no living virus could survive in it. After dealing with the water, he ascended into the sky and turned his body into drill, now descending back to the Earth's surface.

Superman II plunged deep underground and tunneled a perimeter around the entirety of Raccoon City. He knew that the force of his passage would open massive rifts deep down below the city's landmass. Large amounts of rocks and earth will split open. He was counting on it. After several minutes, he found the center of the landmass below of the city and pushed upwards using all his strength. He was now lifting and carrying the entirety of Raccoon City, as well as the massive landmass supporting it. Superman II was a mere speck below the massive structure, but as he pushed, the city rose even higher. This was by far the heaviest thing he has ever lifted, and is amazed that he succeeded in doing so. He continued to push upwards; he needed to throw the entire landmass in space to truly get rid of any traces Umbrella's viruses.

As he pushed, more and more smaller debris and boulders were inevitably crumbling away. That didn't matter though; getting rid of this doomed city is what mattered.

* * *

 

**_\- Route 80, Approx. 88 miles East from Raccoon City. -_ **

The trio were inside of the car with Leon in the driver's seat with Claire on the right seat and Sherry in the back seat behind Leon. They have been on the road for a little more than an hour.

"Hold on. If Chris can do all those things, why didn't he just do everything before? Or he could have prevented this G-Virus thing from happening in the first place." Leon started

"It's a long story. One of them being he didn't have his powers when he first arrived here and that he's also from another world, a parallel universe actually... according to him. I'll explain everything later... If I remember everything he told me about himself." Claire replied.

"Alright, you can tell me later. I think I've seen enough crazy shit within the past eight hours or so."

A few minutes later, Leon saw something in his rear view mirror. He suspected that whatever he saw was out of the ordinary so he decided to pull over and take a look. Leon slowed down and doing so somehow woke up Sherry from her one-hour nap, rubbing her eyes and curious to see where they are headed. 

"What is it?" Claire asked.

"I dunno. Let me check."

Even though it wasn't near them, Leon pulled over to the side of the road to check what was going on. When he stepped out of the vehicle, his eyes widened and jaw dropped looking in the direction of Raccoon City.

"What is it? Is everything alright?" Claire asked again.

"Yeah... We're fine... It's just... You have to come out and see this."

Both Claire and Sherry quickly hopped out and joined Leon's side. The trio then saw the seemingly impossible. Even though they were very far away, they could all see Raccoon City and the landmass below it rising up into the skies. 

"Raccoon City is going up..." Leon still stared on in shock.

Claire took a few seconds to think before her eyes widened as she figured it out.

"Chris... It's has to be him. He's carrying the entire city! I think he's going to throw Raccoon City into space... I know he's strong and all but that's-... that's beyond me. How is this even possible? I didn't know he was _that_ strong..." Claire responded, still not believing what she was seeing.

"I don't know... Well, I hope he knows what he's doing. There really better not have been survivors when started lifting that thing."

"He can see through things and moves really fast. He told us he did everything."

"Whoa..." Sherry softly commented as she had her mouth open.

The girl still looked on in awe, but at the same time, she will miss Raccoon City as this was the only home she knew. She didn't have too many fond memories as her parents frequently neglected her and she was mostly lonely during her time at school. In her mind, she had to say goodbye to what was once her home.

The trio took a moment of silence as they all watched Raccoon City rise, passing through the clouds. Claire then put her hand on Sherry's shoulder as the little girl looked up to her. 

* * *

**_\- Earth's atmosphere -_ **

Superman II kept on pushing with all his strength. _Almost there… Just a little further._  Up...up...through the clouds. He passed the troposphere, the stratosphere, into the mesosphere, continuing through the thermosphere and eventually, the exosphere. With one primal roar, he pushed the monstrous landmass into outer space, towards the direction of the sun. _Goodbye Raccoon City, can't have you infecting anymore people_. After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, he finally made his way back to Earth. At the same time, he pondered if he'll be able to get back to his Earth and see his friends and family again.

* * *

  ** _\- Berwick, Pennsylvania. Two hours later -_**

"Hey Sherry, wake up, we've stopped."

Claire gently shook the girl while she rolled, groaned and slowly opened her eyes since she fell back asleep during their road trip. 

"Where are we...?" Sherry asked, blinking and yawning.

"Berwick. We're gonna make a pit stop and rest. Come on." Leon answered as the they all hopped out of the car. 

Claire took off all her weapons and ammunition and hid it in the boot since they were now in public. Leon, however, still kept his Matilda handgun on him as he's a cop. Completely unlike Raccoon City, this town looked normal, with people and families walking around. Walking around the town, the trio walked to the Walmart not too far away.

"Lucky I have my wallet... and credit cards." Claire told them.

"Me too... Surprisingly." Leon replied.

The three walked into the store, grabbing a shopping cart. As they walked, they noticed that most people stared at them with some even covering their noses. Not only did they look overly dirty and untidy, they smelt bad; Leon and Claire being the worst since they had literally been wading in the sewers many hours ago.

It didn't take them long to start stocking their cart; apples, oranges, grapes, bananas, sandwiches, and of course, bottled water. When they neared the confectionery isle, Sherry quickly ran up to some candy and chocolates and started looking with interest. She felt like eating candy after all this.

"Go on, I think we can all use the sugar rush." Claire smiled as Sherry grabbed some packets of candy and bars of chocolate to put into their cart.

They then went to get toothbrushes, toiletries, soap, disinfectants and bandages; the latter mainly for Leon. Claire also grabbed a couple of phone chargers since her own iPhone was dead. During this whole thing, she had nearly forgotten about it and miraculously, it wasn't damaged. 

What they really needed was more clothes in which they hastily moved to the clothing section of the store. The trio went through the men's, women's and kid's section and grabbed some new clothes and another pair of shoes each. After their cart was nearly full, they eventually made their way to line up at the registers and paid for their shopping while people still stared at them.

When the cashier finished scanning all the items, Claire volunteered to pay for it on her credit card and loaded their cartful of shopping into Leon's car. They drove to the nearest motel, called the 'Red Coyote Inn' where they would need to stay for the day and night. The three went to the reception and booked a room and the concierge gave them the key.

"Room 07. Enjoy your stay!" The concierge told them in a friendly manner.

 The trio then marched down the corridor to their room.

"So..." Leon started. "I'd hate to tell you this, but as soon as we get in our room, I'm commandeering the shower."

Claire looked at Leon and raised an eyebrow, grinning smugly while opening the door.

"I'm sorry, Officer Kennedy, but you will have to shoot me if you want to get in the shower before me. I was crawling in the sewers last night."

"Ew." Sherry managed to say softly and wrinkled her nose.

Claire just chuckled. Even though Sherry's face was dirty and sweaty after everything they've been through, she still looked adorable. Leon couldn't believe Claire's statement, but he managed to smile. As they entered their room, Claire and Sherry kicked off their boots and shoes off respectively. 

"So was I! I also had to not get eaten by a giant alligator while running through them!"

Claire laughed for a second while both hers and Sherry's jaw dropped. "Wait, are you serious?"

Leon nodded his head furiously, remembering his race against the alligator.

"Okay, why don't you go take that shower we were just talking about, and Sherry and I will start eating."

 "Yeah, sounds good." Claire nodded and agreed.

They unloaded most of their shopping and brought it to their room. Claire sorted out the food, toiletries, clothes and first aid supplies while Sherry and Leon broke open the food and started eating. They were so hungry that they're practically inhaling the food and Sherry soon managed to wolf down nearly half a packet of Twinkies. Claire, however, made her way to the shower almost immediately and undressed from her extremely dirty clothes, putting them in the washbasin to wash later. Claire took her shower, standing still as possible as she replayed last night's events in her head over and over again. Twenty-five minutes had passed by the time she realized and stepped out. She walked out with a towel and told Sherry that the shower was hers and Leon will follow after.

"Alright Sherry, it's your turn."

Sherry quickly jumped up from her table and Claire closed the bathroom door behind them. Sherry took off her headband and Claire's jacket before undressing from her dirty school uniform and socks that she'd been wearing for nearly a week. Claire dressed in the new clothes they had bought as Sherry stepped into the shower, pulled the curtain shut and turned the taps on. Claire began washing her old clothes as well as Sherry's in the washbasin. Claire allowed her face to cringe in disgust as the water quickly turned into a murky color.

About twenty minutes later, Sherry poked her head out of the curtains showing that she was finished. Claire handed over more new clothes that they bought and Sherry dressed in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts before exiting the steam-filled bathroom. She had a skip in her steps as hurried for the bed and claimed her spot on it. The girl yawned before she fell fast asleep. Even though it was still morning, it didn't matter as all of them were very exhausted.

"Come on, Leon." Claire called and signaled to him. "You're up."

Leon nodded as he made his way and started to undress himself but found it more difficult due to his wounded shoulder. Before he could step in the shower, Claire looked at his shoulder which was still covered in a blood-stained bandage.

"Oh my God! I can't believe I didn't notice before! What happened to you?"

Leon looked at his bandages. "I was shot. It was some lady named Annette. I think she was-"

"Sherry's mother." Claire finished.

"Yeah, did you and Chris run into her or something?"

"Yeah... It's... a long story…" She looked to the floor.

"The woman I met... her name was Ada... she patched me up when I passed out."

Leon took a shower for a good twenty minutes then stepped out with a towel. His pale skin showing the blue and purple bruises across his torso. There were quite a few gashes and scrapes across his along his arms and abdomen. The worst was obviously the gunshot wound. Claire, took off the bandage off Leon's shoulder to clean the wound. An alcohol soaked cotton ball pressed against the wound and he hissed from the unexpected sting.

"Sorry."

Claire apologized hurriedly before blowing cool air against his skin in an attempt to alleviate the pain. Goosebumps appeared accompanied by a blush in his cheeks.

When Leon now wanted to know more about Chris, Claire told her everything. Well... everything she could remember. Leon admitted that it sounded crazy but couldn't deny it, especially since he saw Chris fly, shoot lasers out his eyes, blow freezing air, one-hit-kill the bio-creature, survive an explosion without a scratch as well as witness Raccoon City literally fly into space. Claire was also still trying to believe everything that had happened. How can someone like Chris be so powerful but yet, so normal and human?

Leon cleared his throat. "How's Sherry?"

"Asleep. She seems fine for now, but things like this stick with you. She just lost both of her parents. I really hope we can find her the help that she needs, or, take care of her. I'm not going to leave her like her parents did." Claire replied, securing the bandages with medical tape. "All done."

Leon stood up and grabbed a clean shirt off the table. It was more difficult to put on than he realized, and Claire stepped up to help, lifting his arm to put in the sleeve and tugging the hem down. 

"Thank you, Claire." He said once he breathed again and she gazed up at him with her crystal clear blue eyes.

"You may still need to get that checked out."

Leon nodded as Claire put her phone on charge. She then turned on the television. It wasn't surprising that the whole Raccoon City incident was all over the news. Not only the news, it was all over the internet; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, Blogs etc. 

_BREAKING NEWS: Raccoon City mysteriously disappears from the U.S. - Colossal empty crater left in wake._

_*Could this be the act of God?*_ Said the news anchor's voice on the TV.

"We'll need to leave again later. We need to get as far from where Raccoon City was as possible." Leon stated as he watched the TV.

"It will be much safer at my place. Sherry will be staying with us."

"Where is your place?"

"Brooklyn. New York... I don't think I'll be able to sneak you and a ten-year-old girl into my dorm at my college. We'll go to my house."

"Everything is going to be fine." Leon made a soft smile as he took Claire's hands and looked into her eyes.

After a while, Claire turned off the television and it was evident that both she and Leon were exhausted and needed rest. They climbed into bed and joined a sleeping Sherry, but also being careful as not to wake the girl. The trio all huddled together and as Claire drifted off, she knew that their lives will never be the same...

* * *

 

 ^ The three survivors (https://imgur.com/36K5agE)

 ^ Superman II lifting Raccoon City and its landmass (https://imgur.com/eyP2YEI)

 ^ Raccoon City going into space (https://i.imgur.com/P5oAiUa.png)

 ^ The trio pull over and watch Raccoon City go up... (https://imgur.com/4xCVQQG)

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending is clearly based on RE2make's true ending, though with some slight changes due to Superman II giving them extra help. 
> 
> The part where Superman II lifts Raccoon City is a callback to Superman lifting the Kryptonite laced island from Superman Returns.
> 
> Next chapter: Epilogue - A New Beginning


End file.
